GENERAL  GRANT'S 

betters 

TO  A  FRIEND 

1861-1880 


With  Introduction  and  Notes  by 
JAMES  GRANT  WILSON 

Author    of  "Life    of  -9; #/;*,'' 
"  Sketches  of  Illustrious  Soldiers" " 
"Bryant  and  his  Friends"  t,tc.  . 


T.  Y.  CROWELL  &  COMPANY 

Jfteto  Pork  antt  -Boston 

MDCCCXCVII 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Thomas  T.  Crowell  &  Company 


Dedicated  by  the  Editor 

to 


to  whose  courtesy 

the  possessors  of  this  Volume 

are  indebted  for  the  privilege  of  reading 

the  Letters  addressed  to  his  Father 

by 
General  Grant 


84S204 


3Jntrotwctum 

ERHAPS  no  other  person  not  connected 
with  the  military  service  contributed  in 
so  great  a  degree  to  General  Grant's  suc 
cess  in  the  American  Civil  War  of  1861-1865, 
as  the  Hon.  Elihu  B.  Washburne,  to  whom  the 
following  forty-eight  letters  and  parts  of  let 
ters  were  addressed,  during  a  period  of  nineteen 
years.  Beginning  in  the  first  year  of  the  war 
the  correspondence  was  continued  uninter 
ruptedly  until  after  the  close  of  Grant's  second 
administration  and  his  return  from  the  ex 
tended  tour  around  the  world.  The  letters  are 
certainly  of  no  inconsiderable  historical  value, 
being  dated  in  many  instances  from  such  fa 
mous  battle-fields  as  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh, 
Vicksburg,  Chattanooga,  and  the  Wilderness, 
and  revealing  in  an  interesting  manner  many 
of  the  strongest  and  most  admirable  traits  of 
General  Grant's  character.  These  private  com 
munications  contain  his  views  upon  men  and 
affairs  in  the  western  hemisphere,  as  well  as  in 
many  of  the  foreign  lands  which  he  visited.  His 


vn 


comments  upon  the  chara&er  and  result  of 
British  rule  in  India,  and  upon  the  progressive 
spirit  of  the  Japanese,  will  be  perused  with  spe 
cial  interest. 

All  but  three  of  the  letters  contained  in  this 
collection  are  of  a  strictly  personal  character, 
the  exceptions  being  Grant's  official  communi 
cations  of  January  23,  1862,  November  13, 
1863,  and  July  19,  1864,  addressed  to  Mr. 
Washburne,  Secretary  Stanton,  and  President 
Lincoln.  These  were  found  among  the  Gen 
eral's  two  score  and  seven  private  letters.  A  por 
tion  of  these,  relating  to  the  war,  appeared  in 
the  Life  of  Grant  (Great  Commanders  Series), 
while  some  of  the  others  were  published  in  the 
numbers  of  the  North  American  Review,  for 
July  and  August,  1897. 

Elihu  Benjamin  Washburne  (1816-1887)  was 
a  member  of  Congress  from  Illinois,  where 
(Galena)  at  the  commencement  of  the  war, 
Grant  was  employed  as  a  clerk.  The  two  men 
first  met  at  that  time :  they  immediately  be 
came  friends,  and  during  the  four  years'  conflict 
Washburne  was  the  constant  supporter  and 
sturdy  defender,  in  Congress  and  elsewhere,  of 
the  silent  commander,  who  would  never  vindi- 


Vlll 


cate  himself  from  the  shameful  charges  that 
were  constantly  brought  both  against  his  pri 
vate  character,  and  also  against  his  conduct  as  a 
soldier.  When  in  1869  Grant  became  President 
of  the  United  States,  he  appointed  Mr.  Wash- 
burne  his  Secretary  of  State,  who  after  occupy 
ing  that  high  office  for  a  few  weeks  was  sent 
as  the  American  representative  to  France.  He 
filled  that  position  with  pre-eminent  ability, 
courage  and  distinction,  publishing  after  his  re 
turn  to  Illinois  "Recollections  of  a  Minister 
to  France,  1869-1877,"  a  very  valuable  illus 
trated  work  in  two  octavo  volumes. 
"The  supremacy  of  Grant  among  American 
soldiers  is  secure,"  said  General  Sherman  to  the 
writer,  at  their  last  meeting,  a  few  weeks  be 
fore  his  death.  Whatever  judgment  history  may 
ultimately  pass  upon  Grant,  it  may  be  safely 
predicted  that  among  Americans,  Washington 
and  Lincoln  alone  will  be  placed  above  him. 
Gladstone,  in  a  letter  dated  July,  1897,  refer 
ring  to  a  comparison  drawn  by  the  editor,  be 
tween  Washington  and  Grant,  says,  "  America 
is  a  happy  country  if  she  can  produce  even  a 
few  men  worthy  to  be  named  as  approaching  to 
the  excellence  of  Washington." 


IX 


One  comfort  is  that  great  men  taken  up 
in  any  way  are  profitable  company.  JFe 
cannot  look^  however  imperfectly^  upon  a 
great  man  without  gaining  something 
by  it.  He  is  the  living  fountain  of  life 
which  it  is  pleasant  to  be  near.  On  any 
terms  whatsoever  you  will  not  grudge  to 
wander  in  his  neighborhood  for  a  while. 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 


lUtter  t 


o^  Illinois^ 
September  3,  1 86 1. 

YOUR  very  kind  letter  was  received  at 
Jefferson  City,  and  would  have  been 
answered  at  once  but  for  the  remark 
that  you  were  about  to  start  for  New  York 
city  and  would  not  receive  it  for  some  days. 
I  should  be  most  pleased  to  have  you  pay  me 
the  visit  here,  or  wherever  I  may  be,  that  you 
spoke  of  paying  me  there. 
In  regard  to  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Rawlins,1 
I  never  had  an  idea  of  withdrawing  it  so  long 
as  he  felt  disposed  to  accept,  no  matter  how 
long  his  absence.  Mr.  Rawlins  was  the  first 
one  I  decided  upon  for  a  place  with  me,  and 
I  very  much  regret  that  family  affliction  has 
kept  him  away  so  long.  The  past  would  have 
been  a  good  school  of  instruction  for  him  in 
his  new  duties ;  the  future  bids  fair  to  try  the 
backbone  of  our  volunteers.  I  have  been  kept 
actively  moving  from  one  command  to  another, 
more  so  perhaps  than  any  other  officer.  So  long 


as  I  am  of  service  to  the  cause  of  our  country 
I  do  not  object,  however. 
General  Fremont  has  seen  fit  to  intrust  me 
with  an  important  command  here,  my  com 
mand  embracing  all  the  troops  in  southeast 
Missouri  and  at  this  place<  A  little  difficulty 
of  an  unpleasant  nature  has  occurred  between 
General  Prentiss  and  myself  relative  to  rank, 
he  refusing  to  obey  my  orders ;  but  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  he  will  see  his  error,  and  .not  sacri 
fice  the  interest  of  the  cause  to  his  ambition 
to  be  senior  brigadier  general  of  Illinois,  as  he 
contends  he  is.  j 

In  conclusion,  Mr.  Washburne,  allow  me  to 
thank  you  for  the  part  you  have  taken  in  giv 
ing  me  my  present  position.  I  think  I  see  your 
hand  in  it,  and  admit  that  I  had  no  personal 
claims  for  your  kind  office  in  the  matter.  I 
can  assure  you,  however,  my  whole  heart  is 
in  the  cause  which  we  are  fighting  for,  and  I 
pledge  myself  that,  if  equal  to  the  task  before 
me,  you  shall  never  have  cause  to  regret  the 
part  you  have  taken. 


better  ii 


Head-Quarters  Distritt  of  Cairo, 
Cairo,  January  23,  1862. 

THE  bearer,  Captain  A.  S.  Baxter,3  who 
goes  to  Washington  by  my  order,  in 
hopes  of  doing  something  for  the  relief 
of  this  much  distressed  portion  of  our  Army,  is 
at  present  my  District  Quartermaster. 
I  am  at  last  satisfied  that  I  have  an  efficient 
and  faithful  servant  of  the  Government  in 
Captain  Baxter,  and  anything  that  you  can  do 
to  further  the  object  of  his  mission  will  not 
only  be  regarded  as  a  personal  favor  to  myself, 
but  will  serve  to  advance  the  cause  you  and  I 
both  have  so  much  at  heart. 
Captain  Baxter  can  tell  you  of  the  great  abuses 
in  his  Department  here  and  the  efforts  I  have 
put  forth  to  correct  them,  and  consequently  the 
number  of  secret  enemies  necessarily  made.  I  am 
desirous  of  retaining  Captain  Baxter  in  his  pres 
ent  position,  and  if  promotion  to  a  higher  grade 
is  necessary  to  enable  me  to  do  so,  I  would  very 
much  desire  that  the  promotion  be  given. 


JUttet  in 


Fort  ^Donelson^  Tennessee^ 
February  21,  1862. 

INGE  receiving  your  letter  at  Fort 
Henry  events  have  transpired  so  rapidly 
that  I  have  scarcely  had  time  to  write 
a  private  letter.  That  portion  of  your  letter 
which  required  immediate  attention  was  re 
plied  to  as  soon  as  your  letter  was  read.  I  mean 
that  I  telegraphed  Colonel  C.  C.  Washburn,3 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  asking  him  to  accept  a  place 
on  my  staff.  As  he  has  not  yet  arrived,  I  fear 
my  dispatch  was  not  received.  Will  you  be 
kind  enough  to  say  to  him  that  such  a  dispatch 
was  sent,  and  that  I  will  be  most  happy  to 
publish  the  order  the  moment  he  arrives,  as 
signing  him  the  position  you  ask. 
On  the  1 3th,  I4th,  and  I5th  our  volunteers 
fought  a  battle  that  would  figure  well  with 
many  of  those  fought  in  Europe,  where  large 
standing  armies  are  maintained.  I  feel  very 
grateful  to  you  for  having  placed  me  in  the 
position  to  have  had  the  honor  of  commanding 


such  an  army  and  at  such  a  time.  I  only  trust 
that  I  have  not  nor  will  not  disappoint  you. 
The  effect  upon  the  community  here  is  very 
marked  since  the  battle.  Defeat,  disastrous  de 
feat,  is  admitted.  Yesterday  I  went  to  Clarkes- 
ville4  with  a  small  escort,  two  of  our  gunboats 
having  preceded  me.  Our  forces  now  occupy 
that  place,  and  will  take  possession  of  a  large 
amount  of  commissary  stores,  ammunition,  and 
some  artillery.  The  road  to  Nashville  is  now 
clear,  but  whether  my  destination  will  be  there 
or  farther  west  can't  yet  be  told.  I  want  to 
move  early,  and  no  doubt  will. 


^Letter 


Savannah^  Tennessee, 
March  22,  1862. 

T7  HAVE  received  two  or  three  letters  from 
I  you  which  I  have  not  answered,  because 
il  at  the  time  they  were  received  I  was  un 
well  and  busy,  and  either  your  brother  or  Row 
ley  were  about  writing.  I  am  now  getting 
nearly  well  and  ready  for  any  emergency  that 
may  arise.  A  severe  contest  may  be  looked  for 
in  this  quarter  before  many  weeks,  but  of  the 
result  feel  no  alarm. 

There  are  some  things  which  I  wish  to  say  to 
you  in  my  own  vindication,  not  that  I  care  one 
straw  for  what  is  said  individually,  but  because 
you  have  taken  so  much  interest  in  my  welfare 
that  I  think  you  are  fairly  entitled  to  all  facts 
connected  with  my  acts. 
I  see  by  the  papers  that  I  am  charged  with  giv 
ing  up  a  certain  number  of  slaves  captured  at 
Fort  Donelson.  My  published  order  on  the 
occasion  shows  that  citizens  were  not  per 
mitted  to  pass  through  our  camps  to  look  for 


their  slaves.  There  were  some  six  or  seven  ne 
groes  at  Donelson,  who  represented  that  they 
had  been  brought  from  Kentucky  to  work  for 
officers,  and  had  been  kept  a  number  of  months 
without  receiving  pay.  They  expressed  great 
anxiety  to  get  back  to  their  families,  and  pro 
tested  that  they  were  free  men.  These  I  let  go, 
arid  none  others.  I  have  studiously  tried  to 
prevent  the  running  off  of  negroes  from  all 
outside  places,  as  I  have  tried  to  prevent  all 
other  marauding  and  plundering. 
So  long  as  I  hold  a  commission  in  the  army  I 
have  no  views  of  my  own  to  carry  out.  What 
ever  may  be  the  orders  of  my  superiors  and 
law  I  will  execute.  No  man  can  be  efficient  as 
a  commander  who  sets  his  own  notions  above 
law  and  those  whom  he  has  sworn  to  obey. 
When  Congress  enacts  anything  too  odious  for 
me  to  execute,  I  will  resign. 
I  see  the  credit  of  attacking  the  enemy  by  the 
way  of  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  is  va 
riously  attributed.  It  is  little  to  talk  about  it 
being  the  great  wisdom  of  any  general  that 
first  brought  forth  this  plan  of  attack.  Our  gun 
boats  were  running  up  the  Tennessee  and 
Cumberland  Rivers  all  fall  and  winter  watch- 


ing  the  progress  of  the  rebels  on  these  works*. 
General  Halleck  no  doubt  thought  of  this 
route  long  ago,  and  I  am  sure  I  did.  As  to 
how  the  battles  should  be  fought,  both  Mc- 
Clellan  and  Halleck  are  too  much  of  soldiers  to 
suppose  that  they  can  plan  how  that  should  be 
done  at  a  distance.  This  would  presuppose  that 
the  enemy  would  make  just  the  moves  laid 
down  for  them.  It  would  be  a  game  of  chess, 
the  right  hand  against  the  left,  determining 
beforehand  that  the  right  should  win.  The  job 
being  an  important  one,  neither  of  the  above 
generals  would  have  intrusted  it  to  an  officer 
whom  they  had  not  confidence  in.  So  far  I  was 
highly  complimented  by  both. 
After  getting  into  Donelson  General  Halleck 
did  not  hear  from  me  for  near  two  weeks.  It 
was  about  the  same  time  before  I  heard  from 
him.  I  was  writing  every  day,  and  sometimes 
as  often  as  three  times  a  day.  Reported  every 
move  and  change,  the  condition  of  my  troops, 
etc.  Not  getting  these,  General  Halleck  very 
justly  became  dissatisfied,  and  was,  as  I  have 
since  learned,  sending  me  daily  reprimands. 
Not  receiving  them,  they  lost  their  sting. 
When  one  did  reach  me,  not  seeing  the  justice 


8 


of  it,  I  retorted,  and  asked  to  be  relieved.  Three 
telegrams  passed  in  this  way,  each  time  ending 
by  my  requesting  to  be  relieved.  All  is  now  un 
derstood,  however,  and  I  feel  assured  that  Gen 
eral  Halleck  is  fully  satisfied.  In  facl:,  he  wrote 
me  a  letter  saying  that  I  could  not  be  relieved, 
and  otherwise  quite  complimentary. 
I  will  not  tire  you  with  a  longer  letter,  but  as 
sure  you  again  that  you  shall  not  be  disappointed 
in  me  if  it  is  in  my  power  to  prevent  it. 


JUtter 


Camp  near  Corinth^  Mississippi^ 
May  14,  1862. 

jlr-if-NlHE  great  number  of  attacks  made  up 
on  me  by  the  press  of  the  country  is 
II  my  apology  for  not  writing  to  you 
oftener,  not  desiring  to  give  any  contradiction 
to  them  myself.  You  have  interested  yourself 
so  much  as  my  friend  that  should  I  say  any 
thing  it  would  probably  be  made  use  of  in  my 
behalf.  I  would  scorn  being  my  own  defender 
against  such  attacks  except  through  the  record 
which  has  been  kept  of  all  my  official  acts,  and 
which  can  be  examined  at  Washington  at  any 
time.  >To  say  that  I  have  not  been  distressed 
at  these  attacks  upon  me  would  be  false,  for  I 
have  a  father,  mother,  wife,  and  children  who 
read  them,  and  are  distressed  by  them,  and  I 
necessarily  share  with  them  in  it.  Then,  too, 
all  subject  to  my  orders  read  these  charges, 
and  it  is  calculated  to  weaken  their  confidence 
in  me  and  weaken  my  ability  to  render  effi 
cient  service  in  our  present  cause.?  One  thing 


10 


I  will  assure  you  of,  however,  —  I  can  not  be 
driven  from  rendering  the  best  service  within 
my  ability  to  suppress  the  present  rebellion, 
and,  when  it  is  over,  retiring  to  the  same  quiet 
it,  the  rebellion,  found  me  enjoyingJNotoriety 
has  no  charms  for  me,  and  could  I  render  the 
same  services  that  I  hope  it  has  been  my  for 
tune  to  render  our  just  cause  without  being 
known  in  the  matter,  it  would  be  infinitely 
preferable  to  me. 

Those  people  who  expect  a  field  of  battle  to 
be  maintained  for  a  whole  day  with  about  thirty 
thousand  troops,  most  of  them  entirely  raw, 
against  fifty  thousand,  as  was  the  case  at  Pitts- 
burg  Landing  while  waiting  for  re-enforce 
ments  to  come  up,  without  loss  of  life,  know 
little  of  war.  To  have  left  the  field  of  Pitts- 
burg  for  the  enemy  to  occupy  until  our  force 
was  sufficient  to  have  gained  a  bloodless  victory 
would  have  been  to  leave  the  Tennessee  to  be 
come  a  second  Potomac.  There  was  nothing 
left  for  me  but  to  occupy  the  west  bank  of  the 
Tennessee  and  to  hold  it  at  all  hazards.  It 
would  have  set  this  war  back  six  months  to 
have  failed,  and  would  have  caused  the  neces 
sity  of  raising,  as  it  were,  a  new  army. 


ii 


Looking  back  at  the  past,  I  can  not  see  for  the 
life  of  me  any  important  point  that  could  be 
corrected.  Many  persons  who  have  visited  the 
different  fields  of  battle  may  have  gone  away 
displeased  because  they  were  not  permitted  to 
carry  off  horses,  fire  arms,  or  other  valuables 
as  trophies.  But  they  are  no  patriots  who  would 
base  their  enmity  on  such  grounds.  Such,  I 
assure  you,  are  the  grounds  of  many  bitter 
words  that  have  been  said  against  me  by  per 
sons  who  at  this  day  would  not  know  me  by 
sight,  yet  profess  to  speak  from  a  personal 
acquaintance. 

I  am  sorry  to  write  such  a  letter,  infinitely 
sorry  that  there  should  be  grounds  for  it.  My 
own  justification  does  not  demand  it,  but  you 
are  entitled  to  know  my  feelings.  As  a  friend  I 
would  be  pleased  to  give  you  a  record  weekly 
at  furthest  of  all  that  transpires  in  that  portion 
of  the  army  that  I  am  or  may  be  connected 
with,  but  not  to  make  public  use  of.  ... 


12 


JUtter  tri 


Camp  near  Corinth^  Mississippi, 
June  I,  1862. 

T7NCLOSED  I  send  a  letter  addressed  to 
I  the  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of 
II  War,  which  I  would  be  pleased  if  you 
would  cause  to  be  delivered  with  any  recom 
mendation  that  you  may  deem  proper.  Lieu- 
tant  Dickey  is  the  son  of  Col.  Dickey  of  the 
Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  brother-in-law  of 
the  late  General  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  who  fell 
at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  Although  Lieutenant 
Dickey  has  served  under  my  command  almost 
from  his  first  entrance  into  service,  I  can  not 
answer  from  personal  knowledge  as  to  his 
qualifications;  but  General  Judah,  who  recom 
mends  him,  is  an  experienced  officer,  and  fully 
qualified  to  judge  of  his  merits. 
The  siege  of  Corinth  has  at  last  terminated. 
On  Friday  morning  it  was  found  that  the  last 
rebel  had  left  during  the  preceding  night.  On 
entering  the  enemy's  intrenchments,  it  was  dis 
covered  that  they  had  succeeded  in  taking  off 


or  destroying  nearly  everything  of  value.  Gen 
eral  Pope  is  now  in  full  pursuit  of  the  retreat 
ing  foe,  and  I  think  will  succeed  in  capturing 
and  dispersing  many  of  them.  There  will  be 
much  unjust  criticism  of  this  affair,  but  future 
effe&s  will  prove  it  a  great  victory.  Not  being 
in  command,  however,  I  will  not  give  a  his 
tory  of  the  battle  in  advance  of  official  reports. 
I  leave  here  in  a  day  or  two  for  Covington, 
Ky.,  on  a  short  leave  of  absence.  I  may  write 
you  again  from  there  if  I  do  not  visit  Wash 
ington  in  person. 


better  trit 


Corinth^  Mississippi^ 
June  19,  1862. 

YOUR  letter  of  the  8th  inst.,  addressed 
to  me  at  Covington,  Ky.,  has  just 
reached  me.  At  the  time  the  one  was 
written  to  which  it  is  an  answer  I  had  leave  to 
go  home  or  to  Covington,  but  General  Halleck 
requested  me  to  remain  for  a  few  days.  After 
ward  when  I  spoke  of  going  he  asked  that  I 
should  remain  a  little  longer  if  my  business  was 
not  of  pressing  importance.  As  I  really  had 
no  business,  and  had  not  asked  leave  on  such 
grounds,  I  told  him  so,  and  that  if  my  services 
were  required  I  would  not  go  at  all.  This 
settled  my  leave  for  the  present,  and  for  the 
war.  So  long  as  my  services  are  required  I  do  not 
wish  to  leave.  I  am  exceedingly  obliged  to  you 
for  the  interest  you  have  taken  in  the  appoint 
ment  recommended  by  me,  and  also  for  the  as 
surance  that  the  Secretary  of  War  receives  it 
with  such  favor.  I  will  endeavor  never  to  make 
a  recommendation  unsafe  to  accede  to. 


I  shall  leave  here  on  the  2ist  for  Memphis, 
where  my  headquarters  will  be  located  for  the 
time  being.  Western  Tennessee  is  fast  being 
reduced  to  working  order,  and  I  think,  with 
the  introduction  of  the  mails,  trade,  and  the 
assurance  that  we  can  hold  it,  it  will  become 
loyal  or,  at  least,  law-abiding.  It  will  not  do, 
however,  for  our  arms  to  meet  with  any  great 
reverse  and  still  expecl:  this  result.  The  masses 
this  day  are  more  disloyal  in  the  South  from 
fear  of  what  might  befall  them  in  case  of  defeat 
to  the  Union  cause  than  from  any  dislike  to  the 
Government.  One  week  to  them  (after  giving 
in  their  adhesion  to  our  laws)  would  be  worse 
under  the  so-called  Confederate  Government 
than  a  year  of  martial  law  administered  by  this 
army.  It  is  hard  to  say  what  would  be  the  most 
wise  policy  to  pursue  toward  these  people,  but 
for  a  soldier  his  duties  are  plain.  He  is  to  obey 
the  orders  of  all  those  placed  over  him,  and  whip 
the  enemy  wherever  he  meets  him.  "  If  he  can  " 
should  only  be  thought  of  after  an  unavoidable 
defeat.  If  you  are  acquainted  with  Senator  Col- 
lamore  of  Vermont,  I  would  be  pleased  if  you 
would  say  to  him  that  there  is  a  young  colonel 
in  the  Eleventh  Illinois  Regiment,  a  native  of 


16 


his  State,  that  I  have  taken  a  great  interest  in 
for  his  gallantry  and  worth.  I  mean  Colonel 
Ransom.6  He  has  now  been  wounded  three 
times  in  separate  engagements,  but  never 
showed  a  willingness  to  relinquish  his  com 
mand  until  the  day  was  decided,  and  always 
declines  a  leave  to  recover  from  his  wounds 
lest  something  should  transpire  in  his  absence. 


JLetter  tout 


La  Grange^  Tennessee, 
November  7,  1862. 

rOT  having  much  of  special  note  to 
write  you  since  your  visit  to  Jackson, 
and  knowing  that  you  were  fully  en 
gaged,  I  have  not  troubled  you  with  a  letter. 
I  write  now  a  little  on  selfish  grounds. 
I  see  from  the  papers  that  Mr.  Leonard  Swett 
is  to  be  called  near  the  President  in  some  ca 
pacity.  I  believe  him  to  be  one  of  my  bitterest 
enemies.  The  grounds  of  his  enmity  I  sup 
pose  to  be  the  course  I  pursued  whilst  at  Cairo 
toward  certain  contractors  and  speculators  who 
wished  to  make  fortunes  off  of  the  soldiers  and 
government,  and  in  which  he  took  much  in 
terest,  whether  a  partner  or  not.7  He  called  on 
me  in  regard  to  the  rights  of  a  post  sutler  for 
Cairo  (an  appointment  not  known  to  the  law) 
whom  he  had  appointed.  Finding  that  I  would 
regard  him  in  the  light  of  any  other  merchant 
who  might  set  up  there,  that  I  would  neither 
secure  him  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  nor  his  pay 


18 


at  the  pay  table  for  such  as  he  might  trust  out, 
the  sutler  never  made  his  appearance.  If  he  did 
he  never  made  himself  known  to  me. 
In  the  case  of  some  contracts  that  were  given 
out  for  the  supply  of  forage,  they  were  given, 
if  not  to  the  very  highest  bidder,  to  far  from 
the  lowest,  and  full  30  per  cent,  higher  than 
the  articles  could  have  been  bought  for  at  that 
time.  Learning  these  facts,  I  immediately  an 
nulled  the  contracts. 

Quite  a  number  of  car-loads  of  grain  and  hay 
were  brought  to  Cairo  on  these  contracts,  and 
a  change  of  Quartermaster  having  taken  place 
in  the  meantime  the  new  Quartermaster  would 
not  receive  them  without  my  order,  except  at 
rates  he  could  then  get  the  same  articles  for 
from  other  parties.  This  I  refused  to  give.  The 
contractors  then  called  on  me,  and  tried  to 
convince  me  that  the  obligation  was  binding, 
but  finding  me  immovable  in  the  matter,  asked 
if  General  Allen's  approval  to  the  contract 
would  not  be  sufficient.  My  reply  was,  in  sub 
stance,  that  General  Allen  was  Chief  Quar 
termaster  of  the  Department,  and  I  could  not 
control  him.  They  immediately  left  me,  and, 
thinking  over  the  matter,  it  occurred  to  me 


that  they  would  go  immediately  to  St.  Louis 
and  present  their  contract  for  approval  without 
mentioning  the  objection  I  made  to  it.  I  then 
telegraphed  to  General  Allen  the  facts,  and 
put  him  on  his  guard  against  these  men.  For 
some  reason,  however,  my  dispatch  did  not 
reach  St.  Louis  for  two  days.  General  Allen 
then  replied  to  it,  stating  that  those  parties 
had  been  to  him  the  day  before,  and  knowing 
no  objection  to  the  contract  he  had  approved 
it. 

The  parties  then  returned  to  Cairo  evidently 
thinking  they  had  gained  a  great  triumph.  But 
there  being  no  money  to  pay  at  that  time,  and 
because  of  the  bad  repute  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  was  in,  they  were  afraid  to  take 
vouchers  without  my  approval.  They  again 
called  on  me  to  secure  this.  My  reply  to  them 
was  that  they  had  obtained  their  contract  with 
out  my  consent,  had  it  approved  against  my 
sense  of  duty  to  the  government,  and  they 
might  go  on  and  deliver  their  forage  and  get 
their  pay  in  the  same  way.  I  would  never  ap 
prove  a  voucher  for  them  under  that  contract 
if  they  never  got  a  cent.  I  hoped  they  would 
not.  This  forced  them  to  abandon  the  contract 


20 


and  to  sell  the  forage  already  delivered  for  what 
it  was  worth. 

Mr.  Swett  took  much  interest  in  this  matter 
and  wrote  me  one  or  more  letters  on  the  sub 
ject,  rather  offensive  in  their  manner.  These 
letters  I  have  preserved,  but  they  are  locked  up 
in  Mr.  SafFord's  safe  in  Cairo.  I  afterwards 
learned  from  undoubted  authority  that  there 
was  a  combination  of  wealthy  and  influential 
citizens  formed,  at  the  beginning  of  this  war, 
for  the  purpose  of  monopolizing  the  army  con 
tracts.  One  of  their  boasts  was  that  they  had 
sufficient  influence  to  remove  any  general  who 
did  not  please  them. 

The  modus  operandl  for  getting  contracts  at  a 
high  rate,  I  suppose,  was  for  a  member  of  this 
association  to  put  in  bids  commencing  at  as 
low  rates  as  the  articles  could  be  furnished  for, 
and  after  they  were  opened  all  would  retire  up 
to  the  highest  one  who  was  below  any  outside 
person  and  let  him  take  it.  In  many  instances 
probably  they  could  buy  off  this  one  for  a  low 
figure  by  assuring  him  that  he  could  not  pos 
sibly  get  the  contract,  for  if  he  did  not  retire 
it  would  be  held  by  the  party  below. 
You  will  see  by  the  papers  that  I  am  on  the 


21 


move.  If  troops  are  furnished  me  to  keep  open 
my  lines  of  communication,  there  will  be  no 
delays  in  this  department.  Once  at  Grenada  I 
can  draw  supplies  from  Memphis,  and  save  our 
present  very  long  line. 

I  do  not  see  my  report  of  the  battle  of  luka  in 
print.  As  the  papers  in  General  Rosecrans's  in 
terest  have  so  much  misrepresented  that  affair, 
I  would  like  to  see  it  in  print.  I  have  no  objec 
tion  to  that  or  any  other  general  being  made  a 
hero  of  by  the  press,  but  I  do  not  want  to  see 
it  at  the  expense  of  a  meritorious  portion  of  the 
army.  I  endeavored  in  that  report  to  give  a 
plain  statement  of  facts,  some  of  which  I 
would  never  have  mentioned  had  it  not  be 
come  necessary  in  defense  of  troops  who  have 
been  with  me  in  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  battles 
where  I  have  had  the  honor  to  command.  I 
have  never  had  a  single  regiment  disgrace 
itself  in  battle  yet,  except  some  new  ones  at 
Shiloh  that  never  loaded  a  musket  before  that 
battle.  , 


22 


JUtter 


Young  s  Point,  Mississippi, 
March  10,  1863. 

that  Congress  has  adjourned,  I 
have  thought  possible  you  might  want 
to  make  a  visit  to  this  part  of  the 
country.  I  need  not  assure  you  that  I  would  be 
most  glad  to  see  you  here,  and  have  you  stay 
during  the  contest  which  will  take  place  in  the 
next  thirty  days  from  this  writing.  You  will 
have  time  to  join  me  if  mails  are  prompt.  The 
canal  through  would  have  been  a  success  by  to 
day  but  for  the  great  rise  of  water.  The  river 
is  now  several  feet  above  the  whole  country 
hereabout,  and  our  canal  was  dependent  for  its 
success  upon  keeping  the  water  out  of  it.  The 
upper  dam  has  broken  and  submerged  things 
generally.  To  stop  this  off  will  take  a  number 
of  days,  but  we  will  do  it.  In  the  meantime, 
so  far  as  I  now  know  and  have  official  reports, 
the  Yazoo  Pass  expedition  is  going  to  prove  a 
perfect  success.  This  is  highly  important  if  for 
no  other  purpose  than  to  destroy  the  transpor- 


tation  and  embyro  gunboats  the  enemy  had 
there.  They  have  been  working  for  one  year 
on  one  boat  of  gigantic  proportions  up  that 
stream. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Wilson,  a  young  man  of 
great  merit,  who  has  been  put  on  General 
Hunter's  staff,  but  who  was  on  mine  as  a  lieu 
tenant,  and  I  objected  to  relieving  until  the 
present  campaign  is  over,  writes  to  Rawlins 
in  a  private  letter  that  our  success  in  getting 
into  Yazoo  Pass  is  due  to  the  energy  of  C.  C. 
Washburn.  He  felt  an  interest  in  the  enter 
prise  and  toolc  hold  with  a  will,  and  with  men 
worthy  of  the  object  to  be  accomplished.  I 
have  ordered  the  army  corps  of  McPherson 
through  that  way  with  additional  forces,  mak 
ing  him  effective  men  to  the  number  of  about 
twenty-eight  thousand.  McPherson  is  one  of 
my  best  men,  and  is  fully  to  be  trusted.  Sher 
man  stands  in  the  same  category.  In  these  two 
men  I  have  a  host.  They  are  worth  more  than 
a  full  brigade  each.  McPherson  will  effect  a 
lodgment  on  the  high  lands  on  the  Yazoo 
River  east  bank,  and  will  co-operate  with  the 
troops  from  here.  The  class  of  transports  adapt 
ed  to  the  pass  being  so  limited,  some  delay 


24 


will  necessarily  take  place  in  getting  them 
to  their  destination.  I  have  sent  up  the  river 
for  all  the  small  class  of  boats  that  can  be 
got. 

We  are  going  through  a  campaign  here  such  as 
has  not  been  heard  of  on  this  continent  before. 
The  soldiers  see  the  position  of  the  enemy  in 
front  of  them,  but  I  presume  do  not  see  how 
they  are  to  attack.  Their  camp  ground  is  sev 
eral  feet  below  water,  held  in  its  place  by  the 
levees.  Constant  rains  falling  keep  the  roads 
almost  impassable.  With  all  this  the  men  are 
in  good  spirits,  and  feel  confident  of  ultimate 
success. 

The  health  of  this  command  is  a  subject  that 
has  been  very  much  exaggerated  by  the  press. 
I  will  venture  the  assertion  that  there  is  no 
army  now  in  the  field  showing  so  large  a  pro 
portion  of  those  present  with  their  commands 
being  ready  for  duty.  Really  our  troops  are  more 
healthy  than  could  possibly  have  been  expecled, 
with  all  their  trials.  Although  I  have  told  you 
but  little  of  plans  here,  it  is  more  than  I  am  in 
the  habit  of  writing  on  this  subject.  You  will 
excuse  me,  therefore,  from  saying  how  I  ex 
pect  to  co-operate  with  McPherson,  at  least 


until  you  come  down.  General  Washburn  will 
have  command  of  a  very  important  cavalry  ex 
pedition  from  the  Yazoo  River  if  all  other 
plans  succeed.  .  . 


26 


better  j: 


^  Mississippi^ 
August  30,  1863. 

YOUR  letter  of  the  8th  of  August,  in 
closing  one  from  Senator  Wilson8  to 
you,  reached  here  during  my  tempo 
rary  absence  to  the  northern  part  of  my  com 
mand  ;  hence  my  apparent  delay  in  answering. 
I  fully  appreciate  all  Senator  Wilson  says.  Had 
it  not  been  for  General  Halleck  and  Dana,?  I 
think  it  altogether  likely  I  would  have  been 
ordered  to  the  Potomac.  My  going  could  do 
no  possible  good.  They  have  there  able  officers 
who  have  been  brought  up  with  that  army,  and 
to  import  a  commander  to  place  over  them 
certainly  could  produce  no  good.  While  I 
would  not  positively  disobey  an  order,  I  would 
have  objected  most  vehemently  to  taking  that 
command  or  any  other,  except  the  one  I  have. 
I  can  do  more  with  this  army  than  it  would 
be  possible  for  me  to  do  with  any  other  with 
out  time  to  make  the  same  acquaintance  with 
others  I  have  with  this.  I  know  that  the  sol- 


27 


diers  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  can  be  re 
lied  on  to  the  fullest  extent.  I  believe  I  know 
the  exa&  capacity  of  every  general  in  my  com 
mand  to  lead  troops,  and  just  where  to  place 
them  to  get  from  them  their  best  services. 
This  is  a  matter  of  no  small  importance.  .  .  . 
The  people  of  the  North  need  not  quarrel 
over  the  institution  of  slavery.  What  Vice- 
President  Stephens  acknowledges  the  corner 
stone  of  the  Confederacy  is  already  knocked 
out.  Slavery  is  already  dead,  and  cannot  be 
resurrected.  It  would  take  a  standing  army  to 
maintain  slavery  in  the  South  if  we  were  to 
make  peace  to-day,  guaranteeing  to  the  South 
all  their  former  constitutional  privileges.  I 
never  was  an  abolitionist,  not  even  what  could 
be  called  antislavery,  but  I  try  to  judge  fairly 
and  honestly,  and  it  became  patent  to  my 
mind  early  in  the  rebellion  that  the  North 
and  South  could  never  live  at  peace  with  each 
other  except  as  one  nation,  and  that  without 
slavery.  As  anxious  as  I  am  to  see  peace  re 
established,  I  would  not,  therefore,  be  willing 
to  see  any  settlement  until  this 'question  is  for 
ever  settled. 
Rawlins  and  Maltby10  have  been  appointed 


28 


brigadier-generals.  These  are  richly  deserved 
promotions.  Rawlins  especially  is  no  ordinary 
man.  The  fact  is,  had  he  started  in  this  war  in 
the  line  instead  of  in  the  staff,  there  is  every 
probability  he  would  be  to-day  one  of  our  shin 
ing  lights.  As  it  is,  he  is  better  and  more  fa 
vorably  known  than  probably  any  other  officer 
in  the  army  who  has  filled  only  staff  appoint 
ments.  Some  men,  too  many  of  them,  are  only 
made  by  their  staff  appointments,  while  others 
give  respectability  to  the  position.  Rawlins  is 
of  the  latter  class.  , 


29 


better  jrf 


Head-quarters, 

Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi, 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  November  13,  1863. 

OME  of  the  citizens  of  Northern  Illi 
nois  have  expressed  the  convi&ion  that 
a  regiment  of  cavalry  can  be  raised  in  a 
short  time  from  that  section  of  the  state  if 
special  authority  be  given  the  Governor  to 
accept  them,  and  have  desired  that  I  obtain 
the  authority  for  them.  I  want  no  special  favor 
for  myself,  and  cannot  ask  the  desired  authority 
on  that  ground.  If,  however,  it  is  the  policy  of 
the  Government  to  accept  new  organizations, 
I  would  recommend  that  authority  be  given 
Governor  Yates  to  accept  a  regiment  of  cavalry 
to  be  raised  in  Northern  Illinois. 


Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton, 

Secretary  of  War. 

30 


Hetter  jrtf 

Chattanooga^  Tennessee^ 
December  2,  1863. 

\  | — vOR  the  last  three  weeks  I  have  not  only 
pd  been  busy,  but  have  had  company  occu- 
/A  pying  my  room,  making  it  almost  impos 
sible  for  me  to  write  anything.  Last  week  was 
a  stirring  time  with  us,  and  a  magnificent  vic 
tory  was  won.  I  am  sorry  you  could  not  be  here. 
The  spectacle  was  grand  beyond  anything  that 
has  been  or  is  likely  to  be  on  this  continent.  It 
is  the  first  battlefield  I  have  ever  seen  where  a 
plan  could  be  followed  and  from  one  place  the 
whole  field  be  within  one  view.  At  the  com 
mencement  the  battle  line  was  fifteen  miles 
long.  Hooker  on  our  right  soon  carried  the 
point  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  Sherman  the 
north  end  of  Missionary  Ridge,  thus  shorten 
ing  the  line  by  five  or  six  miles  and  bringing 
the  whole  within  one  view.  Our  troops  behaved 
most  magnificently,  and  have  inflicted  on  the 
enemy  the  heaviest  blow  they  have  received 
during  the  war.  .  .  ." 


31 


better 


Chattanooga^  Tennessee^ 
December  12,  1863. 

LL  is  well  with  me.  Everything  looks 
bright  and  favorable  in  this  command. 
I  feel  under  many  obligations  to  you 
for  the  interest  you  have  taken  in  my  welfare. 
But  recollect  that  I  have  been  highly  honored 
already  by  the  Government,  and  do  not  ask  or 
feel  that  I  deserve  anything  more  in  the  shape 
of  honors  or  promotions.  A  success  over  the 
enemy  is  what  I  crave  above  everything  else, 
and  desire  to  hold  such  an  influence  over  those 
under  my  command  as  to  enable  me  to  use 
them  to  the  best  advantage  to  secure  this  end. 


32 


3Uttet  ri 


Culpepper  C.  //.,  Virginia, 
May  I,  1864. 

PLEASE  permit  me  to  call  the  attention 
of  Congress,  through  you,  to  the  fact 
that  the  law  creating  the  grade  of  Lieu- 
tenant-General,  and  fixing  the  pay  and  allow 
ances  of  staff  officers  serving  with  the  Lieu 
tenant-General,  simply  revived  old  laws.  Under 
these  his  aides,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant- 
colonel,  receive  only  the  pay  and  allowances 
of  officers  of  their  grade  in  the  infantry.  Under 
more  recent  Acts  of  Congress  all  other  staff 
officers  receive  the  pay  and  allowances  of 
cavalry  officers.  Major-generals  commanding 
army  corps  have  four  staff  officers  with  the 
rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  who  receive  cav 
alry  pay.  It  certainly  never  was  contemplated 
that  the  staff  of  a  higher  grade  and  command 
should  receive  less  pay.  I  hope  that  Congress 
will  correct  this. 


33 


better 


Cold  Harbor^  Virginia^ 
June  9,  1864. 

YOUR  two  letters  inclosing  orders  pub 
lished  by  Major-General  Washburn 
have  been  received.  I  highly  approve 
the  course  he  is  taking,  and  am  glad  to  see  that 
General  Slocum  is  pursuing  a  similar  course 
about  Vicksburg.  I  directed  some  days  ago 
that  the  Sixteenth  Corps  staff  should  report  to 
your  brother.  I  recommend,  however,  that  no 
commander  be  named  for  the  Sixteenth  Corps 
until  Sherman  is  heard  from,  to  know  whether 
he  would  not  prefer  the  consolidation  of  that 
portion  of  the  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  Corps 
in  the  field  into  one  corps,  and  that  serving  in 
garrison  from  these  two  corps  into  another.  It 
makes  but  little  difference,  however,  about  this, 
for  as  soon  as  this  campaign  is  over  it  is  prob 
able  there  will  be  a  reconstruction  of  depart 
ments  and  commands. 

.  .  .  .  Everything  is  progressing  favorably,  but 
slowly.  All  the  fight,  except  defensive  and  be- 


34 


hind  breastworks,  is  taken  out  of  Lee's  army. 
Unless  my  next  move  brings  on  a  battle,  the 
balance  of  the  campaign  will  settle  down  to  a 
siege.  .  .  . 


35 


JLetter 


Head-quarters^  Armies  of  the  United  States^ 
City  Point^  Virginia^  July  19,  1864. 

Y7N  my  opinion  there  ought  to  be  an  imme- 
I  diate  call  for  say  300,000  men  to  be  put 
/A  in  the  field  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 
The  presence  of  this  number  of  reinforcements 
would  save  the  annoyance  of  raids,  and  would 
enable  us  to  drive  the  enemy  back  from  his 
present  front,  particularly  from  Richmond, 
without  attacking  fortifications.  [The  enemy 
now  have  their  last  men  in  the  field.  Every 
depletion  of  their  army  is  an  irreparable  loss. 
Desertions  from  it  are  now  rapid.  With  the 
prospect  of  large  additions  to  our  force  these 
desertions  would  increase.  The  greater  number 
of  men  we  have,  the  shorter  and  less  sanguinary 
will  be  the  war. 

I  give  this  entirely  as  my  view  and  not  in  any 
spirit  of  dictation,  always  holding  myself  in 
readiness  to  use  the  material  given  me  to  the 
best  advantage  I  know  how. 

To  A.  Lincoln,  President. 

36 


JUtter 


City  Point^  Virginia, 
July  23,  1864. 

YOUR  letter  of  the  lyth,  inclosing  one 
from  General  Scott,  is  just  received.  I 
inclose  to  you  my  answer  to  the  gen 
eral,  which  please  forward  to  him.  All  are  well 
here,  and  buoyant  and  full  of  hope.  I  wish  peo 
ple  North  could  be  as  hopeful  as  our  troops  who 
have  to  do  the  fighting  are.  I  cannot  write  you 
what  I  expecl:  to  do  here.  That  Maryland  raid 
upset  my  plans,  but  I  will  make  an  attempt  to 
do  something  before  many  days.  .  .  . 


37 


lUtter  jrtritf 


City  Point^  Virginia, 
August  1 6,  1864. 

YOUR  letter  asking  for  autographs  to 
send  to  Mrs.  Adams,  the  wife  of  our 
Minister  to  England,  was  duly  re 
ceived.  She  had  also  sent  to  Mr.  Dana  for  the 
same  thing,  and  his  requisition,  he  being  with 
me  at  the  time,  was  at  once  filled.  I  have  di- 
redjted  Colonel  Bowers  to  send  with  this  a  few 
of  the  original  dispatches  telegraphed  from 
here.  They  have  all  been  hastily  written,  and 
not  with  the  expectation  of  ever  being  seen 
afterward,  but  will,  I  suppose,  answer  as  well  as 
anything  else,  or  as  if  they  had  been  written 
especially  for  the  purpose  of  sending.  .  .  . 
I  state  to  all  citizens  who  visit  me  that  all  we 
want  now  to  insure  an  early  restoration  of  the 
Union  is  a  determined  unity  of  sentiment 
North.  The  rebels  have  now  in  their  ranks 
their  last  men.  The  little  boys  and  old  men  are 
guarding  prisoners,  railroad  bridges,  and  form 
ing  a  good  part  of  their  garrisons  for  intrenched 


positions.  A  man  lost  by  them  cannot  be  re 
placed.  They  have  robbed  the  cradle  and  the 
grave  equally  to  get  their  present  force.  Be 
sides  what  they  lose  in  frequent  skirmishes  and 
battles,  they  are  now  losing  from  desertions 
and  other  causes  at  least  one  regiment  per  day. 
With  this  drain  upon  them  the  end  is  visible 
if  we  will  but  be  true  to  ourselves.  Their  only 
hope  now  is  in  a  divided  North.  This  might 
give  them  reinforcements  from  Tennessee, 
Kentucky,  Maryland,  and  Missouri,  while  it 
would  weaken  us.  With  the  draft  quietly  en 
forced,  the  enemy  would  become  despondent, 
and  would  make  but  little  resistance. 
I  have  no  doubt  but  the  enemy  are  exceedingly 
anxious  to  hold  out  until  after  the  presidential 
election.  They  have  many  hopes  from  its  ef- 
fecls.  They  hope  for  a  counter-revolution. 
They  hope  for  the  election  of  the  peace  can 
didate.  In  fact,  like  Micawber,  they  hope  that 
something  will  turn  up.  Our  peace  friends,  if 
they  expect  peace  from  separation,  are  much 
mistaken.  It  would  be  but  the  beginning  of 
war,  with  thousands  of  Northern  men  joining 
the  South  because  of  the  disgrace  of  our  allowing 
separation.  To  have  peace  "on  any  terms"  the 


39 


South  would  demand  the  restoration  of  their 
slaves  already  freed.  They  would  demand  in 
demnity  for  losses  sustained,  and  they  would 
demand  a  treaty  which  would  make  the  North 
slave-hunters  for  the  South.  They  would  de 
mand  pay  or  the  restoration  of  every  slave  es 
caping  to  the  North. 


40 


Jletter 


City  Pointy  Virginia, 
^December  23,  1864. 

Y7  SEE  some  objections  are  raised  to  M  cade's 
I  confirmation  as  major-general  in  the  regu- 
i\  lar  army.  What  the  objections  are  I  do 
not  know,  and  cannot  therefore  address  myself 
to  them.  I  am  very  sorry  this  should  be  so. 
General  Meade  is  one  of  our  truest  men  and 
ablest  officers.  He  has  been  constantly  with 
that  army,  confronting  the  strongest,  best-ap 
pointed,  and  most  confident  army  in  the  South. 
He  therefore  has  not  had  the  same  opportunity 
of  winning  laurels  so  distinctively  marked  as 
have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  other  generals.  But  I 
defy  any  one  to  name  a  commander  who  could 
do  more  than  he  has  done  with  the  same 
chances.  I  am  satisfied  that  with  a  full  knowl 
edge  of  the  man,  what  he  has  done,  and  the  cir 
cumstances  attending  all  his  military  ads,  all 
objections  would  be  removed.  I  wrote  a  letter 
to  Senator  Wilson  to-day  in  his  behalf  which  I 
hope  will  have  some  weight.  If  you  can  put  in 


a  word  with  some  of  the  other  Senators,  par 
ticularly  those  who  oppose  his  confirmation, 
and  are  willing  to  do  it,  I  will  feel  much 
obliged. 


3Utter 


City  Pointy  Virginia^ 
January  24,  1865. 

YOUR  letter  announcing  the  comple 
tion  of  the  medal I3  was  duly  received, 
and  not  answered  because  I  expected 
to  be  in  Washington  about  as  early  as  a  letter 
would  get  there.  I  did  go,  but  not  as  early  by 
a  day  or  two  as  I  expected,  and  then  was  in  such 
haste  that  I  saw  no  one  out  of  the  War  and 
my  own  office.  I  can  hardly  say  when  I  will  be 
up  again.  Not  for  a  week  or  two  probably.  I  do 
not  want  the  medal  here,  where  there  would  be 
such  danger  of  losing  it.  You  can  therefore  keep 
it  where  you  deem  best  until  I  am  ready  to  take 
charge  of  it.  ... 

We  have  had  quite  an  exciting  time  here  since 
3  A.  M.  to-day.  The  heavy  freshet  we  have 
been  having  the  last  few  days  has  washed  away 
some  of  our  obstructions  in  the  James.  About 
that  hour  four  of  the  enemy's  gunboats  started 
down  the  river,  and  one  or  two  of  them  actu 
ally  passed  the  obstructions.  Providence  seemed 


43 


to  be  on  our  side.  Our  navy  certainly  was  not. 
Notwithstanding  several  days'  notice  had  been 
given,  not  a  single  preparation  seemed  to  have 
been  made  to  receive  such  a  visit.  Fortunately, 
however,  two  of  the  enemy's  boats  grounded 
near  the  Hewlett  House,  and  those  that  had 
passed  down  turned  back.  Two  of  the  enemy's 
boats  were  sunk  and  one  disabled.  The  two 
aground  were  well  pummeled  for  several  hours, 
and  must  both  of  them  have  been  injured, 
though  the  report  I  get  is  :  Two  sunk,  one 
disabled.  This  was  all  done  from  land  batteries. 
The  naval  force  left  here  is  not  adequate  to 
the  work  with  the  obstructions  removed.  I 
hope,  however,  to  have  all  right.  We  have  all 
been  very  busy  since  the  3d,  and  will  have 
everything  right  before  there  is  any  let  up. 


44 


^letter 


City  Point,  Virginia^ 
February  23,  1865. 

T7NCLOSED  I  send  you  a  letter  just  re- 
I  ceived  from  Colonel  Duff,  late  of  my 
Li  staff.  I  should  be  delighted  if  an  ac~t  should 
pass  Congress  giving  the  commander  of  the 
army  a  "chief  of  staff  "  with  the  rank  of  brig 
adier-general  in  the  regular  army.  It  is  nec 
essary  to  have  such  an  officer,  and  I  see  no 
reason  why  the  law  should  not  give  it.  It 
would  also  reward  an  officer  who  has  won  more 
deserved  reputation  in  this  war  than  any  other 
who  has  adled  throughout  purely  as  a  staff 
officer.  I  write  to  you  instead  of  to  Duff, 
knowing  your  personal  friendship  for  Rawlins 
as  well  as  myself,  and  because  you  are  in  a 
place  to  help  the  thing  along  if  you  think  well 
of  it. 

Mrs.  Grant  will  not  be  in  Washington  to  at 
tend  the  inauguration,  but  will  be  returning 
North  soon  after.  She  would  like  Mrs.  W.  to 
make  her  a  long  visit,  if  she  can,  before  she  re- 


45 


turns  West.  Can  you  not  make  a  run  down 
here  and  bring  Mrs.  Washburn  with  you  ? 
Everything  looks  like  dissolution  in  the  South. 
A  few  days  more  of  success  with  Sherman  will 
put  us  where  we  can  crow  loud. 


JUtter  wit 


Washington^  D.  C., 
May  21,  1865. 

Y7  HAVE  just   received  your  letter  of  the 
1 8th.  It  has  never  been  my  intention  to 

/-I  give  up  Illinois  as  my  home.  The  house 
in  Philadelphia  was  presented  to  me,  I  believe, 
entirely  by  the  Union  League  of  that  city.  I 
was  not  aware  the  project  was  under  way  un 
til  the  money  for  the  purchase  was  mostly  sub 
scribed,  and  then  I  did  not  know  the  parties 
interesting  themselves  in  the  matter.  I  had 
selected  Philadelphia  as  a  place  for  my  family, 
where  the  children  could  have  good  schools 
and  be  near,  so  that  I  might  see  them  when 
ever  I  had  a  leisure  day. 
It  would  look  egotistical  to  make  a  parade  in 
the  papers  about  where  I  intend  to  claim  as 
my  home,  but  I  will  endeavor  to  be  in  Galena 
at  the  next  election  and  vote  there,  and  declare 
my  intention  of  claiming  that  as  my  home  and 
intention  of  never  casting  a  vote  elsewhere 
without  first  giving  notice. 


47 


I  feel  very  grateful  to  the  citizens  of  Illinois 
generally,  and  to  those  of  Jo  Daveiss  County 
and  yourself  in  particular,  for  the  uniform  sup 
port  I  have  received  from  that  quarter.  With 
out  that  support  it  would  now  matter  but  lit 
tle  where  I  might  claim  a  residence.  I  might 
write  a  letter  to  Mr.  Stuart,1*  chairman  of  the 
Christian  Commission,  and  the  most  active 
member  of  the  Union  League  of  Philadelphia, 
in  getting  up  the  subscription  for  my  house, 
stating  what  I  owe  to  the  State  of  Illinois,  and 
that  he  and  his  friends  must  not  think  hard  of 
me  for  holding  on  to  Galena  as  my  home. 
I  will  hear  from  you  again  before  doing  any 
thing  in  this  matter.  At  present  I  am  keeping 
house  in  Georgetown,  and  have  my  family  with 
me.  Neither  they  nor  I  will  be  in  Philadelphia 
again,  unless  it  be  for  a  few  days,  before  fall. 


better  mit 


Washington^  D.  C., 

November  9,  1865. 

Y7  WILL  be  in  my  new  house  by  Christmas. 
Without  furnishing  the  fourth  story  I  will 
*A  have  abundance  of  room  for  myself  and 
friends.  If  Mrs.  Washburn  comes  on  to  visit 
Washington  this  winter,  bring  her  to  our  house. 
I  shall  visit  New  York  City  a  few  days  next 
week  to  close  up  the  papers  on  my  house  pur 
chase,  and  when  I  return  go  South  on  an  in 
spection  tour.  Once  back  from  that  I  shall 
square  down  for  hard  work  as  long  as  Congress 
is  in  session.  .  .  . 


49 


JUtter 


Head-quarters^  Armies  of  the  United  States^ 
August  1 6,  1866. 

S  INCLOSE  you  a  letter  from  Sherman  on 
the  subject  of  Atchison's  appointment  on 
his  staff,  and  also  an  extradt  from  a  semi 
official  letter  of  a  subsequent  date  on  the  same 
subject.  Sherman  feels  every  disposition  to  ac 
commodate  both  you  and  me.  But  it  is  a  hard 
test  to  ask  a  man  to  dismiss  a  staff  officer  who 
has  been  with  him  through  the  war,  and  who 
he  likes,  to  take  one  who  has  done  no  service 
with  him.  I  do  not  know  that  McCoy  or  Day 
ton  have  received  commissions  in  the  regular 
army.  If  they  have  not,  or  do  not,  they  will 
not  be  eligible  for  their  staff  positions  long. 
Campbell  has  invited  me  to  be  present  in  Ga 
lena  on  the  Qth  of  November.  This  date  seems 
to  be  fixed  with  the  view  of  having  me  there 
at  the  election.  I  have  no  objection  to  being 
in  Galena  at  that  time,  but  do  not  think  it 
proper  for  an  army  officer,  particularly  the 
army  commander,  to  take  part  in  elections. 


Your  friendship  for  me  has  been  such  that  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  support  you  for  personal 
reasons,  on  the  ground  that  there  is  no  one 
who  cannot  recognize  great  acls  of  friendship. 


JLetter 


Washington,  D.  C., 
March  4,  1867. 

YOUR  telegraphic  dispatch  in  favor  of 
the   confirmation   of  General  Dix,JS 
also  your  letter,  partly  on  the  same 
subject,  were  duly  received.  I  lost  no  time  in 
communicating  the  substance  of  your  dispatch 
to  as  many  Senators  as  I  could.  I  am  glad  to 
be  able  to  announce  to  you  this  morning  a  fact 
which  you  will,  no  doubt,  learn  by  telegraph 
long  before  this  reaches  you,  that  the  Senate 
has  confirmed  him. 

Reconstruction  measures  have  passed  both 
houses  of  Congress  over  one  of  the  most  ridi 
culous  veto  messages  that  ever  emanated  from 
any  President.16  Jerry  Black1?  is  supposed  to  be 
the  author  of  it.  He  has  been  about  Washing 
ton  for  some  time,  and  I  am  told  has  been  a 
great  deal  about  the  White  House.  It  is  a  fit 
ting  end  to  all  our  controversy  (I  believe  this 
last  measure  is  to  be  a  solution  unless  the  Presi 
dent  proves  an  obstruction)  that  the  man  who 


tried  to  prove,  at  the  beginning  of  our  domestic 
difficulties,  that  the  nation  had  no  constitutional 
power  to  save  itself  is  now  trying  to  prove  that 
the  nation  has  not  now  the  power,  after  a  vic 
tory,  to  demand  security  for  the  future.  I  hope 
you  will  see  this  message,  Reverdy  Johnson's 
remarks,  and  Governor  Brown's  (of  Georgia) 
letter,  and  contrast  the  two  latter  with  the 
former. 

I  am  sorry  to  learn  from  your  letter  that  your 
health  has  not  improved.  I  thought  that  free 
dom  from  care,  with  the  witticisms  of  Jones, 
would  cure  you.  I  hope  it  will  yet  have  that 


I  see  no  chance  of  getting  abroad  this  year.  Do 
not  show  what  I  have  said  on  political  matters 
to  any  one.  It  is  not  proper  that  a  subordinate 
should  criticise  the  acl:s  of  his  superiors  in  a 
public  manner.  I  rely  upon  our  personal  rela 
tions,  however,  to  speak  to  you  freely  as  I  feel 
upon  all  important  matters. 
Give  my  kindest  regards  to  Jones.  Tell  him 
not  to  fail  to  keep  his  journal  up,  ready  for  pub 
lication  on  his  return.  I  rely  on  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  of  that  journal  to  save  the  earnings 
of  our  horse  rail  road  to  go  into  the  hands  of 


53 


the  stockholders.  You  know  Jones  must  be 
supported,  and  the  horse  concern  is  a  "bird  in 
hand."  Hoping  to  hear  soon  from  you  again, 
and  that  your  health  is  much  improved,  I  re 
main,  as  ever,  your  friend 


54 


itetter 


Washington^  D.  C1., 
April  5,  1867. 

VERYTHING  is  getting  on  well  here 
under  the  Congressional  Reconstruction 
Bill,  and  all  will  be  well  if  administra 
tion  and  copperhead  influence  do  not  defeat 
the  objects  of  that  measure.  So  far  there  has 
been  no  absolute  interference  with  the  acts  of 
district  commanders,  all  of  whom  are  carrying 
out  the  measures  of  Congress  according  to  the 
spirit  of  their  acts,  but  much  dissatisfaction  has 
been  expressed  at  Sheridan's  removal  of  the 
New  Orleans  civil  officers.  Sheridan  has  given 
public  satisfaction,  however.  In  his  private  ca 
pacity  he  shows  himself  the  same  fearless,  true 
man  that  he  did  in  the  field.  He  makes  no 
mistakes. 

I  see  no  possible  chance  of  getting  abroad  this 
year.  I  am  not  egotistical  enough  to  suppose 
that  my  duties  cannot  be  performed  by  others 
just  as  well  as  myself,  but  Congress  has  made 
it  my  duty  to  perform  certain  offices,  and  whilst 


55 


there  is  an  antagonism  between  the  executive 
and  legislative  branches  of  the  Government, 
I  feel  the  same  obligation  to  stand  at  my  post 
that  I  did  whilst  there  were  rebel  armies  in 
the  field  to  contend  with. 


letter  jqrtrii 


Galena^   Illinois^ 
September  23,  1868. 

V7  AM  glad  to  see  Congress  found  it  expe 
dient  to  adjourn  without  further  legisla- 
Ai  tion.  I  feared  the  effect  of  legislation  at 
this  time,  and  then,  too,  if  Congress  had  re 
mained  in  session  it  would  prevent  Andrew 
Johnson  from  taking  his  proposed  trip  to  East 
Tennessee.  I  have  as  much  affection  for  him 
as  Frank  Blair  had  for  the  "Fennigans,"  and 
would  go  just  as  far  as  Frank  would  go  to  see 
him  off,  and  would  hold  out  every  inducement 
to  have  him  remain. 

My  time  passes  very  pleasantly  and  quietly  here, 
and  I  have  determined  to  remain  until  some 
time  after  the  O6tober  elections.  I  will  aim  to  be 
in  Washington  a  few,  but  a  few,  days  before  the 
November  election.  There  is  nothing  partic 
ularly  stirring  occurring  here.  A  person  would 
not  know  there  was  a  canvass  going  on  if  it  were 
not  for  the  accounts  we  read  in  the  papers  of 
great  gatherings  all  over  the  country. 


57 


Please  remember  me  to  Mr.  Alexander  T. 
Stewart,  Mr.  Moses  H.  Grinnell,  and  Mr. 
William  E.  Dodge,  who  all  have  taken  great 
interest  in  my  welfare,  even  before  they  knew 
me  personally.  The  same  might  be  said  of  hosts 
of  other  New  Yorkers,  but  the  names  of  all 
cannot  be  enumerated  in  a  single  letter. 


3Utter 


Washington,  D.  <?., 
March  II,  1869. 

VOUR  resignation  of  the  office  of  Sec 
retary  of  State,  with  reasons  for  the 
ii  same,  is  received.  In  accepting  it  I  do 
so  with  regret  that  your  health  will  not  per 
mit  you  to  continue  in  the  office  or  in  some 
Cabinet  position.18  Our  personal  relations  have 
been,  from  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion  to 
the  present  day,  and  your  support  of  me  in 
dividually  and  of  the  army  and  its  cause,  such 
that  no  other  idea  presented  itself  stronger  to 
my  mind,  on  the  first  news  of  my  election  to  the 
presidency,  than  that  I  should  continue  to  have 
your  advice  and  assistance.  In  parting  with  you, 
therefore,  I  do  it  with  assurances  of  continued 
confidence  in  your  ability,  zeal,  and  friendship, 
and  with  the  hope  that  you  may  soon  be  re 
lieved  from  the  physical  disabilities  under 
which  you  have  labored  for  the  last  few  years. 


59 


Better 


Washington^  D.  C., 
April  9,  1869. 

Y7  HAVE  been  pained  to  learn  that  a  man  up 
on  whom  I  have  conferred  an  appointment 
ii  should  have  been  a  lobbyist  to  Congress 
(in  the  McGarrahan  case),  and,  failing  to  get 
the  vote  he  wished  from  the  committee  hav 
ing  the  matter  in  charge,  should  become  the 
traducer  of  the  committee,  which,  it  seems, 
were  within  one  of  being  unanimous  in  their 
report.  It  seems  that  .  .  .  has  been  acting  in 
this  way,  and  very  much  to  the  prejudice  of 
Wilson  particularly,  the  chairman  of  the  com 
mittee.  It  may  be  that  ...  is  misrepresented 
in  this  matter,  but  I  understand  that  the  cor 
respondents  who  are  traducing  Wilson  give 
...  as  their  authority.  Now  you  know,  and 
I  presume  .  .  .  did,  that  there  was  no  man  in 
the  Fortieth  Congress  for  whom  I  had  a  high 
er  regard  than  for  the  Hon.  J.  F.  Wilson,1? 
and  that  he  was  one  of  the  men  whom  I  con 
fidently  hoped  to  have  connected  with  my  ad- 


ministration.  To  have  him  slandered  over  my 
shoulders,  I  feel  as  I  would  to  have  you,  who 
stood  by  me  through  evil  as  well  as  through 
good  report,  slandered  in  the  same  way.  I  do 
not  believe  you  care  to  have  with  you  as  sec 
retary  of  legation  a  man  guilty  of  such  con 
duct.  Of  course  this  is  presuming  his  guilt  be 
fore  hearing  the  other  side.  I  would  be  but  too 
glad  to  have  the  report  authentically  contra 
dicted.  But  as  the  matter  stands  now  Wilson 
feels  terribly  aggrieved,  and  I  think  very  justly 
so.  ...  has  no  doubt  read  what  the  corre 
spondents  Piatt  and  Boynton  have  said  in  this 
matter,  and  knows  how  far  they  are  sustained 
in  them  by  his  statements.  His  opinion  of  their 
opinion  of  the  merits  of  the  McGarrahan 
claim,  or  what  they  say  about  the  report  of  the 
committee  upon  it,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with. 
The  matter  which  concerns  me  is  the  state 
ment  that  I  have  been  influenced  in  my  course 
toward  Wilson  by  reason  of  dissatisfaction  with 
his  public  acts,  and  that  my  notice  has  been 
called  to  them  through  some  agency  of  ... 


61 


^Letter 


Washington,  D.  C., 
September  7,  1869. 

UR  mutual  and  much  esteemed  friend, 
General  Rawlins,  expired  yesterday, 
after,  as  you  are  aware,  years  of  gradual 
decline.  Although  he  has  lived  far  beyond  what 
his  most  sanguine  friends  hoped,  yet  his  final 
taking  off  has  produced  a  shock  which  would 
be  felt  for  but  few  of  our  public  men.  He  re 
tained  his  consciousness  up  to  within  a  few 
minutes  of  his  death.  Although  I  was  not  with 
him  in  his  dying  hours,  I  am  told  that  his 
greatest  concern  seemed  to  be  for  his  destitute 
family.  I  was  at  Saratoga  when  his  rapid  de 
cline  commenced.  The  first  dispatch  I  received 
indicating  any  immediate  danger  was  on  Satur 
day  evening,  or  night,  after  the  last  train  had 
left.  I  was  compelled  to  remain  until  Sunday 
evening,  and  arrived  consequently  about  forty 
minutes  after  he  had  breathed  his  last. 
I  have  been  intending  for  months  to  write  you, 
and  have  no  special  excuse  for  not  doing  so, 


62 


except  that  when  I  do  get  alone  for  an  hour  I 
always  happen  to  have  something  to  do.  Whilst 
I  have  been  away  this  summer  I  have  been 
very  much  let  alone  by  people  who  have  an 
axe  to  grind,  but  there  has  scarcely  ever  been 
a  minute  when  there  were  not  callers.  You  will 
see  by  the  official  statements  that  the  first  six 
months  of  the  administration  have  been  suc 
cessful  in  improving  the  revenue  collections, 
and  somewhat  in  reducing  expenses.  The  show 
ing  is  a  reduction  of  forty-nine  million  of  the 
public  debt.  The  actual  decrease  is  greater. 
McCulloch20  kept  no  interest  account,  conse 
quently  on  the  4th  of  March  no  interest  due 
that  day,  or  coupons  overdue  but  not  presented 
for  payment,  appeared  as  a  part  of  the  public 
debt.  We  have  actually  paid  about  six  million 
in  gold  of  old  coupons  which  the  statements 
give  no  credit  for.  In  addition  to  this,  we  have 
paid  probably  as  much  as  two  million  in  cur 
rency  on  contracts  fulfilled  and  purchases  made 
before  the  1st  of  March,  which  is  another  dead 
horse  paid  for. 


iUtter 


Washington,  D.  C., 
January  28,  1870. 

E  RECEIVED  your  interesting  personal 
letter  a  day  or  two  ago,  and  snatch  a  few 
moments  to  answer  it.  In  reality  I  have  no 
quiet  time  in  which  to  write  letters,  scarcely 
to  read  the  current  news  of  the  day.  The  con 
tinuous  press  of  people  continues  yet  about  as 
it  was  last  spring.  You  will  see  by  the  papers 
that  the  ratification  of  the  Fifteenth  Amend 
ment  is  assured.  With  this  question  out  of  poli 
tics,  and  reconstruction  completed,  I  hope  to 
see  such  good  feeling  in  Congress  as  to  secure 
rapid  legislation  and  an  early  adjournment.  My 
peace  is  when  Congress  is  not  in  session.  My 
family  are  all  well  and  wish  to  be  remembered 
to  Mrs.  Washburn,  the  children,  and  yourself. 
The  Emperor  has  been  kind  enough  to  send 
me  pleasant  messages  several  times,  which 
please  say  to  him  have  been  duly  received  and 
are  highly  appreciated.  Please  convey  to  him 
my  best  wishes  for  a  continuance  of  his  good 


health  and  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  the 
people  over  whom  he  has  been  called  to  rule. 
It  has  been  the  desire  of  my  life  to  visit  Europe 
and  particularly  France,  but  so  far  I  have  been 
too  busy.  If  spared  to  get  through  my  present 
office,  I  shall  take  a  year  or  two  to  visit  those 
parts  of  the  world  I  have  not  yet  seen. 


JUtter 


Washington^  D.  C., 
July  IO,  1870. 

17  HAVE  received  your  recent  letters,  two 
in  regard  to  General  Robert  Anderson.  I 
II  do  not  know  how  anything  can  be  done  for 
the  general  at  present,  but  I  do  know,  or  at 
least  feel,  that  the  American  people  will  never 
permit  his  family  to  suffer.  Should  the  worst 
happen,  the  general  and  his  family  will  be 
taken  care  of.  I  would  start  the  matter,  and 
what  is  or  has  been  done  for  Rawlins'  and  Stan- 
ton's  families  would  probably  be  done  for  Gen 
eral  Anderson's. 

Congress  is  soon  to  adjourn.  The  refle6tion  is 
almost  a  compensation  for  the  suffering  en 
dured  during  its  session.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
feeling  of  loyalty  of  the  people,  and  the  almost 
certainty  that  a  Democratic  success  would  be 
repudiation  and  surrender  to  old  Southern  lead 
ers,  there  is  but  little  doubt  but  that  the 
Republican  party  would  lose  control  of  the 
country  at  the  next  election.  Lack  of  attention 


66 


to  material  interests,  wrangling  among  them 
selves,  dividing  and  allowing  the  few  Demo 
crats  to  be  the  balance  to  fix  amendments  to 
every  important  measure  (and  voting  against 
the  whole  bill  when  brought  to  a  vote),  attack 
ing  each  other  and  the  administration  when 
any  individual's  views  were  not  conformed  to, 
has  put  the  party  in  a  very  bad  light.  I  think 
everything  will  be  right  two  years  hence,  and 
that  members  see  the  errors  they  have  com 
mitted.  I  shall  hope  so  at  least.  If  we  had  had 
a  short  session  of  Congress,  and  harmonious, 
the  party  would  never  have  been  on  as  strong 
a  footing  as  now.  All  that  was  necessary  to  do 
was  to  pass  the  appropriation  bills,  admit  the 
outstanding  States,  pass  a  funding  bill  and 
promise  the  people  a  reduction  of  eighty  mill 
ion  of  taxes  at  their  next  session.  We  could 
well  spare  that  amount  if  the  public  debt  bore 
but  five  per  cent. 


better 


Long  Branch^  N.  J.y 
August  22,  1870. 

'HEN  I  wrote  to  you  last,  although 
it  was  but  a  few  days  before  the  dec 
laration  of  war  by  France,  I  had  no 
idea  that  such  an  event  was  even  threatening. 
I  was  taken  by  surprise,  as  Napoleon  admits 
he  was  in  one  of  [King]  William's  attacks. 
The  result,  if  we  read  right  in  our  papers,  has 
surprised  me.  I  supposed  from  the  declaration 
of  war  coming  from  the  French  they  would  be 
all  ready,  while  the  Prussians  might  not  be 
fully  so,  and  therefore,  at  the  beginning,  the 
French  would  have  it  all  their  own  way.  The 
Prussian  military  system  is  so  perfect,  however, 
that  I  believed  singlehanded  they  would  be  too 
much  for  the  French  in  the  end.  The  war  has 
developed  the  fact  here  that  every  unrecon 
structed  rebel  sympathizes  with  France,  with 
out  exception,  while  the  loyal  element  is  al 
most  as  universally  the  other  way.  Poor  Napo 
leon,  I  suppose,  will  retire  to  private  life. 


68 


JLetter 


Washington^  D.  C., 
May  26,  1872. 

Y7  WROTE  you  a  long  letter  just  before 
I  the  meeting  of  the  Cincinnati  Conven- 
IA  tion,  but  as  I  did  not  complete  it  before 
that  event,  and  as  most  of  the  letter  was  upon 
the  subject  of  that  convention,  I  did  not  send 
it.  The  work  has  been  done,  and  no  one  is 
satisfied  but  Greeley  himself  and  a  few  Tam 
many  Republicans  who  expect  office  under 
him,  if  he  is  elected,  and  who  know  that  under 
no  other  man  could  they  be  appointed  to  office. 
I  predict  that  Greeley  will  not  even  be  a  can 
didate  when  the  election  comes  off.  The  De 
mocracy  are  not  going  to  take  him,  and  his 
following  in  the  Republican  ranks  is  not  suffi 
cient  to  make  up  an  electoral  ticket,  nor  is  it 
composed  of  respectability  enough  to  put  on 
such  a  ticket.  His  nomination  has  had  a  good 
effect,  however.  It  has  apparently  harmonized 
the  party  by  getting  out  of  it  the  "soreheads" 
and  knaves  who  made  all  the  trouble  because 


they  could  not  control.  The  movement  was 
egged  on  by  the  Democrats,  the  rank  and  file 
acting  in  good  faith,  until  now  the  effect 
upon  them  is  just  what  the  leaders  intended  it 
should  be  upon  the  Republicans ;  it  is  dividing 
their  party.  Many  of  the  Democratic  papers, 
particularly  in  the  South,  have  committed 
themselves  so  thoroughly  that  they  will  have 
to  go  to  Baltimore  on  the  Qth  of  July  in  sup 
port  of  Greeley.  Many  others  will  go  there  to 
break  up  the  Cincinnati  ticket  by  putting  one 
of  its  candidates  at  the  tail  of  a  new  ticket,  and 
Adams,  Davis,  or  Trumbull  at  the  head.  The 
old  Hunkers  will  fight  all  such  movements, 
and,  in  my  judgment,  will  carry  the  day,  but 
will  create  great  disaffection  in  their  ranks. 
We  will  soon  see  how  my  prediction  comes 
out. 


7° 


SUtter 


Long  Branch^  N.  J.y 
August  26,  1872. 

VOUR  confidential  letter  relating  to 
the  probable  position  of  Curtin31 
11  was  received  during  my  last  visit  to 
Washington.  He,  Curtin,  probably  arrived 
in  New  York  city  yesterday,  Sunday ;  but 
there  is  no  communication  between  this  and 
the  outside  world  on  Sunday  except  by  tele 
graph,  so  that  I  do  not  know  positively.  I 
expecl:  him  to  come  and  see  me  as  soon  as  he 
does  arrive,  though  I  know  he  will  be  met  on 
arrival,  and  everything  possible  will  be  offered 
him  to  corrupt  him.  The  Greeleyites  will  be 
as  liberal  in  their  offers  to  him  as  Satan  was  to 
our  Saviour,  and  with  as  little  ability  to  pay. 
Curtin's  defection  would  probably  cost  us  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  in  October,  so  far  as 
the  Governor  and  Legislature  are  concerned, 
but  without  him  the  Congressmen  at  large, 
three  of  them,  and  Judge  of  the  Superior 
Court  and  other  officers  on  the  State  ticket 


would  be  ele&ed,  and  we  would  carry  the 
State  in  November. 

1  do  not  often  indulge  in  predictions,  but  I 
have  had  a  feeling  that  Greeley  might  not  even 
be  in  the  field  in  November.  If  he  is,  I  do  not 
think  he  will  carry  a  single  Northern  StateJln 
the  South  I  give  him  Tennessee  and  Texas, 
with  Virginia,  West  Virginia,  Maryland,  Ken 
tucky,  Georgia,  Florida,  and  Arkansas  doubt 
ful,  with  the  chances  in  our  favor  in  all  of 
them  except  Maryland.  Missouri  might  also 
be  added  to  the  doubtful  States."  This  is  the 
way  matters  look  now,  but  they  may  be  modi 
fied  before  November.  We  "shall  see  what  we 
shall  see  "  before  long. 


3Utter 


Washington,  D.  C., 
Ottober  25,  1872. 

YOUR  letter  of  the  nth  Oftober  is 
just  received,  and  I  hasten  to  answer, 
as  you  request.  I  think  it  very  doubt 
ful  about  my  going  to  Galena  for  the  election, 
though  I  may  do  so.  My  judgment  now  is 
that  the  prediction  which  I  made  to  you  about 
the  result  of  the  November  election  will  prove 
nearly  right.  Maryland,  West  Virginia,  Ken 
tucky,  Tennessee,  Georgia  and  Texas  will 
probably  cast  their  votes  for  Mr.  Greeley. 
Missouri  may  do  the  same  thing.  It  would  not 
if  we  could  have  a  fair  election  throughout  the 
StaterSome  counties  in  that  State  are  as  bad  as 
any  portion  of  Georgia,  and  may  lose  us  the 
electoral  vote/  Virginia  is  also  a  possible  State 
for  Mr.  Greeley,  though  the  chances  are  in  our 
favor. 


73 


JLetter 


Long  Branch^  N.  y., 
August  23  ,  1875. 

T7  HAVE  been  intending  for  a  long  time  to 
write  to  you,  but  I  have  so  got  out  of  the 
*-i  way  of  writing  social  letters  that  I  have  not 
now  left  a  single  correspondent — not  even  in 
my  own  family — except  on  official  business.  I 
have  nothing  now  special  to  say  further  than 
that  I  am  always  glad  to  hear  from  you.  In 
political  matters  you  keep  posted  through  the 
press,  and  are  no  doubt  struck  with  the  chronic 
annual  scare  of  the  Republicans  lest  the  Demo 
crats  should  get  into  power.  Just  now  the  Ohio 
election  is  frightening  them.  They  seem  to  feel 
as  though  the  loss  of  Ohio  this  fall  would  in 
sure  a  Democratic  victory  next  year  and  lead 
to  inflation  of  the  currency,  repudiation,  the 
undoing  of  all  that  has  been  accomplished  by 
the  War  and  Republican  Administrations  in 
the  way  of  reconstruction,  and  national  dis 
grace.  I  take  a  much  more  hopeful  view  of  the 
situation.  I  am  anxious,  of  course,  to  see  the 


74 


Republicans  carry  Ohio.  But  if  they  should 
not  I  would  not  feel  in  the  least  discouraged. 
The  facl:  is  that  while  Ohio  is  sound  by  one 
hundred  thousand  majority  on  the  financial 
issue,  and  the  Republicans  have  not  a  sound 
platform  on  that  issue,  and  the  Democrats  a 
very  unsound  and  dishonest  one,  if  Ohio  is  lost 
in  this  election  it  will  be  on  this  question 
alone.  So  much  time  elapses  between  nomina 
tions  and  elections  that  the  Democrats  will  all 
be  whipped  into  line  on  the  ground  that  the 
question  now  at  issue  is  only  which  of  the  two 
parties  they  would  rather  see  control  the  State. 
They  are  not  voting  for  an  executive  of  the 
nation,  nor  for  lawmakers  who  can  legislate  on 
the  subject  of  national  finances.  In  the  Repub 
lican  ranks  there  are  very  many  men  who  are 
in  debt,  or  whose  business  has  slackened,  that 
think  an  abundant  currency  would  help  them 
out  of  their  difficulties,  and  who  will  not  vote, 
or  if  they  do  vote,  it  will  be  against  their  party. 
I  believe  that  if  the  Democratic  party  carries 
Ohio  this  fall,  it  will  give  the  repudiationists— 
for  inflation  means  repudiation  —  such  a  pres 
tige  in  the  nominating  convention  next  year 
that  the  hard-money  men  of  the  party,  includ- 


75 


ing  all  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  all  New  Eng 
land,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Delaware, 
Maryland,  Texas,  and  some  from  other  States, 
will  split  and  put  up  two  tickets  as  they  did  in 
1860.  If  so,  the  race  in  1876  will  be  an  easy 
one.  With  a  contrary  result  there  will  prob 
ably  be  but  two  tickets,  both  on  a  moderately 
sound  financial  platform. 
I  did  not  think  of  writing  so  much  of  a  poli 
tical  letter  as  I  have  done,  but  it  may  interest 
you  to  hear  private  views  on  this  subject.  On 
the  question  of  candidates  for  next  year  there 
seems  to  be  nothing  definite  to  base  a  predic 
tion  upon  as  to  who  will  be  the  standard 
bearers. 


JLctter 


17,  Cavendish  Square,  London, 
June  9,  1877. 

'Y  stay  in  London  has  been  more  pro- 
traded  than  I  had  intended,  or  will  be 
before  my  accepted  engagements  are 
fulfilled.  I  have  accepted  invitations  for  every 
day  up  to  and  including  the  26th  of  this 
month.  On  the  28th  of  June  I  will  be  at  a 
banquet  to  be  given  in  Liverpool.  Within  a  few 
days  of  that  time,  most  likely  on  the  first  day 
of  July,  I  will  be  in  Paris  on  my  way  to  Swit 
zerland.  My  stay  will  probably  not  reach  more 
than  a  day  or  two  beyond  the  4th  of  July  in 
Paris.  The  reception  I  have  had  in  England  so 
far  has  been  very  gratifying,  and  I  think  very 
complimentary  to  our  country.  I  recognize  the 
fa£t  that  it  is  more  for  the  country  all  the  com 
pliments  I  am  receiving  are  intended,  than  for 
me  personally. 

I  will  send  my  courier  to  Paris  to  secure 
quarters  for  our  short  stay,  or  will  get  General 
Torbert  to  do  this  for  me.  I  will  be  compelled 


77 


to  be  very  moderate  in  my  expenditures,  to  cor 
respond  with  my  means.  In  fa&,  the  extent  of 
my  visit  abroad  will  depend  entirely  on  how 
long  I  can  stay  upon  the  limited  capital  I  have 
brought  with  me. 


Hetter 


17,  Cavendish  Square^  London^ 
June  16,  1877. 

T7  SHALL  follow  your  advice  in  regard  to 
I  my  visit  to  Paris.  I  will  pass  through  on  my 
II  way  to  Switzerland,  possibly  staying  over 
two  or  three  days  in  the  city,  but  having  it 
understood  that  I  am  only  passing  now,  but 
will  visit  there  again  about  the  last  of  October 
—  middle  to  last  —  when  I  will  stay  some  six 
weeks.  I  have  written  to  Mr.  Harps,  who  was 
kind  enough  to  invite  me  to  a  garden  party  on 
my  arrival,  to  the  same  effecl:,  saying,  how 
ever,  that  I  should  be  guided  entirely  by  your 
judgment  as  to  whether  I  should  accept  any 
invitations  until  my  return  in  the  fall.  I  will 
probably  go  over  to  Paris  on  the  6th  of  July, 
but  will  telegraph  or  write  you  the  exa&  time 
of  my  departure. 

The  railroad  company  here  has  been  kind 
enough  to  ask  me  to  accept  a  special  train  to 
Dover,  and  from  Calais  to  Paris,  which  will 
probably  put  me  in  advance  of  the  regular  train. 


79 


better  jri 


1 6,  Beaufort  Gardens,  London, 
June  22,  1877. 

T7  HAVE  determined  to  leave  here  for  Paris 
I  on  my  way  to  Switzerland  on  the  5th  of 
ii  July.  The  Eastern  Railroad  Company  have 
been  kind  enough  to  put  a  special  train  and 
boat  at  my  service,  which  will  put  us  through 
from  London  to  Paris  in  eight  hours.  I  want, 
as  you  advise,  to  have  it  understood  that  for 
the  present  I  will  be  in  Paris  this  time  simply 
in  transitu,  and  will  make  my  visit  of  several 
weeks  at  a  later  period,  probably  about  the 
middle  or  last  of  October.  My  party  will  con 
sist  of  Mrs.  Grant  and  maid,  Jesse  and  myself, 
and  a  courier  who  will  look  out  for  himself. 
Our  stay  will  not  extend  three  days.  You  were 
kind  enough  to  propose  to  engage  apartments 
for  us  during  our  short  stay ;  will  you  be  good 
enough  to  take  them  according  to  the  above 
programme,  and  advise  me  before  my  arrival. 


80 


JUtter  jrli 

Gebruder  Drexel^  Hofliferanten^  Frankfurt^ 
July  19,  1877. 

YOUR  letter  expressing  regret  that  you 
could  not  be  at  the  dinner  given  last 
evening  reached  me  in  the  afternoon 
too  late  to  answer  until  this  A.  M.  The  dinner 
was  a  most  pleasant  affair,  and  the  grounds 
about  where  it  was  given  surpass  anything  I 
have  ever  seen  for  beauty  and  exquisite  taste 
horticulturally.  I  am  sorry  you  could  not  be 
here,  but  understand  how  impossible  it  is  under 
the  circumstances,  having  a  family  to  move  for 
the  summer,  to  start  off  at  a  moment's  notice. 
I  must  leave  here  on  Monday  next  to  carry  out 
my  designs.  I  go  direct  from  here  to  Luzerne, 
Switzerland,  to  commence  the  tour  of  that 
country.  Having  delayed  so  by  the  way  I  will 
have  to  be  satisfied  with  a  couple  of  weeks  in 
Switzerland.  It  is  my  intention  to  visit  Den 
mark,  Norway  and  Sweden,  so  as  to  return  to 
Scotland  by  the  last  week  in  August,  to  do  up 
that  part  of  the  island  of  Great  Britain.  I  will 


81 


not  be  in  Paris  now  before  the  middle  to  the 
last  of  October.  I  hope  I  may  meet  you  there 
at  that  time. 

If  Mr.  Davis,  our  Minister  to  Germany,  is 
with  you,  please  say  to  him  for  me  that  I  re 
ceived  his  very  kind  note  at  the  same  time  I 
did  yours.  If  he  goes  to  Switzerland  I  shall 
hope  to  meet  him  there,  and  also  Mrs.  Davis. 
But  I  would  not  have  him  go  to  Berlin  on 
my  account.  If  there  at  all  this  summer  it  will 
be  but  for  a  single  day  on  my  return  this  way, 
and  then  to  pay  a  longer  visit  to  the  German 
capital;  possibly  I  may  do  so  this  fall  after  my 
visit  to  Scotland. 


82 


better  tfit 

Paris, 
ORober  7,  1878. 

TT  AM  just  in  receipt  of  your  very  welcome 
I  letter  of  the  23d  of  September.  I  have  no 
l\  recollection  of  receiving  a  letter  from  you 
written  about  the  time  of  your  departure  from 
Paris.  I  am  sure  I  should  have  answered,  had 
such  a  letter  reached  me.  The  last  communica 
tion  I  remember  anything  of  was  either  a  letter 
or  dispatch  —  the  latter,  I  think — received  by 
me  at  Frankfort,  in  answer  to  mine  stating  the 
time  I  would  remain  there.  I  was  very  sorry 
not  to  meet  you  there. 

Nf\s  you  say,  it  is  bliss  to  be  out  of  the  United 
otates  just  at  a  time  when  all  the  bad  elements 
in  the  country  are  seemingly  carrying  every 
thing  before  them.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  and  I 
think  confidently  to  be  relied  upon,  that  all  the 
isms  will  have  run  their  course  before  1880.  It 
is  incomprehensible  that  men  —  not  to  say  a 
majority  —  could  be  found  who  are  willing  to 
upset  the  country  financially  just  at  a  time 


when  we  have  got  so  near  to  specie  payments, 
when  we  have  established  the  highest  credit 
known  among  nations,  and  when  general  pros 
perity  to  the  country  is  just  dawning./The 
whole  Democratic  party  cried  itself  hoarse  over 
the  outrage  upon  the  Constitution  when  the 
nation,  in  its  desperation,  adopted  the  "legal 
tender  note."  Every  Democratic  judge  upon 
the  supreme  bench,  I  believe,  gave  a  judicial 
opinion  against  the  constitutionality  of  the  act, 
and  every  Republican  member  of  the  court 
sustained  it  only  on  the  ground  of  imperative 
necessity,  a  means  to  save  the  nation's  life,  on 
the  ground  of  self-defense  and  self-preserva 
tion  justifying  the  means.  Now  the  whole 
party  seems  to  be  willing  to  issue  an  unlimited 
quantity  of  this  money  in  spite  of  their  pre 
vious  declaration,  in  spite  of  the  solemn  promise 
that  above  a  certain  amount — 400,000,000  — 
should  not  be  issued,  in  spite  of  the  solemn  ob 
ligation  that  those  issued  should  be  redeemed 
in  coin,  understood  at  the  time  to  be  gold  coin. 
I  believe  I  am  right  in  this  statement  of  the 
views  of  the  Supreme  Court  on  the  money 
question.  .  .  . 
'We  leave  here  in  a  few  days  for  Spain  and 


Portugal.  When  we  have  visited  those  coun 
tries  we  will  have  been  in  every  country  in 
Europe,  and  a  little  of  Africa  and  Asia.  I  have 
enjoyed  it  all  very  much,  but  often  feel  home 
sick  to  get  back.  If  I  should  go  back  now,  how 
ever,  I  would  have  no  home  to  go  toJ  In  the 
spring  I  would  have  my  Long  Brancn  home, 
where  I  could  stay  through  the  summer  and 
make  arrangements  for  the  winter.  Mrs.  Grant 
joins  me  in  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Washburn 
and  the  children,  as  well  as  to  yourself.  I  will 
always  be  glad  to  hear  from  you,  and  hope  I 
shall  not  prove  negligent  in  answering. 


^Letter  jrltti 


Paris, 
December  24,  1878. 

VOUR  very  welcome  letter  of  Novem 
ber  the  24th  was  awaiting  me  here  on 
II  my  return  to  Paris  some  ten  days 
since.  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  you  again, 
but  sorry  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  detention  of 
your  family  East  this  winter.  I  hope  your 
daughter  is  improving,  and  that  she  will  soon 
be  restored  to  entire  health. 
You  have  seen  by  the  papers  that  I  have  de 
termined  to  go  home  by  India,  China,  and  Ja 
pan.  This  will  not  probably  delay  my  return, 
but  it  will  land  me  in  San  Francisco  about  the 
time  1  expected  to  reach  Philadelphia — say 
the  last  of  June.  If  we  get  to  San  Francisco  as 
early  as  that  or  nearly  so,  I  shall  want  to  re 
main  on  the  Pacific  coast  six  weeks  or  two 
months.  I  spent  two  years  there  in  early  life, 
and  always  felt  the  greatest  desire  to  make  it 
my  future  home.  Nothing  ever  fell  over  me 
like  a  wet  blanket  so  much  as  my  promotion 


86 


to  the  lieutenant-generalcy.  As  junior  major- 
general  in  the  regular  army  I  thought  my 
chances  good  for  being  placed  in  command  of 
the  Pacific  division  when  the  war  closed.  As 
lieutenant-general  all  hope  of  that  kind  van 
ished.  You  wrote  me  that  you  had  been  all 
over  the  Pacific  coast  before,  and  how  much 
interested  you  were  in  that  country. 
/I  anticipate  great  pleasure  from  the  trip  before 
me.  The  fact  is,  I  take  much  more  interest  in 
seeing  countries  but  seldom  visited  by  foreign 
ers  than  in  seeing  those  where  one  comes  but 
little  in  contact  with  others  than  those  foreign 
to  the  soil  visited.  I  shall  endeavor  to  profit  by 
the  journey,  even  if  I  should  write  nothing.  So 
far  I  have  abstained  from  giving  my  views 
about  the  institutions  and  people  of  the  coun 
tries  I  have  already  visited.  The  fact  is,  how 
ever,  that  I  have  seen  nothing  to  make  me  re 
gret  that  I  am  an  American.  Our  country,  its 
resources,  the  energy,  ingenuity,  and  intelli 
gence  of  the  people,  etc.,  is  more  appreciated 
abroad  than  at  home.  If  our  politicians  and 
people  could  see  us  as  others  see  us,  and  see 
how  much  better  ofF  all  producing  classes  are 
with  us  than  in  the  most  favored  nation  of 


Europe,  they  would  have  much  less  to  com 
plain  of  and  more  to  be  thankful  for) 
I  am  much  pleased  with  the  result  of  the  No 
vember  elections.  It  seems  to  me  to  put  the 
Republican  party  right  for  1880.  Providence 
seems  to  direcl:  that  something  should  be  done 
just  in  time  to  save  the  party  of  progress  and 
national  unity  and  equality.  The  Potter  in 
vestigating  committee  and  the  financial  ques 
tion  did  it  the  last  time. 
My  mails  for  two  months  from  this  time  should 
be  sent  to  United  States  Consul,  Bombay.  I 
shall  always  be  pleased  to  hear  from  you. 


88 


better 


Singapore^  Straits  Settlements^ 
April  4,  1879. 

INGE  my  last  letter  to  you  I  have  seen 
much  of  the  world  new  to  me,  and  but 
little  visited  by  our  countrymen.  The 
reality  is  different  from  my  anticipations  as  to 
climate,  characteristics  of  the  natives,  the  gov 
ernments  that  have  been  forced  upon  them, 
etc.,  etc.  My  idea  had  been  rather  that  English 
rule  in  this  part  of  the  globe  was  purely  selfish, 
all  for  the  benefit  of  "Old  England  "  and  pam 
pered  sons  sent  here  to  execute  laws  enacted  at 
home,  and  nothing  for  the  benefit  of  the  gov 
erned.  I  will  not  say  that  I  was  all  wrong,  but 
I  do  say  that  Englishmen  are  wise  enough  to 
know  that  the  more  prosperous  they  can  make 
the  subject,  the  greater  consumer  he  will  be 
come,  and  the  greater  will  be  the  commerce 
and  trade  between  the  home  government  and 
the  colony,  and  greater  the  contentment  of  the 
governed.  This  quarter  is  governed  on  that 
theory,  arid,  as  far  as  my  opportunities  have 


given  me  the  power  to  judge,  by  a  most  dis 
creet,  able,  and  well-chosen  set  of  officials.  My 
opinion  is  that  if  the  English  should  withdraw 
from  India  and  the  East,  they  would  scarcely 
'  get  off  the  soil  before  the  work  of  rapine  and 
murder  and  wars  between  native  chiefs  would 
begin.  The  retrograde  to  absolute  barbarism 
would  be  more  rapid  than  progress  toward  civ 
ilization  is  possible ;  it  would  be  almost  instan 
taneous.  As  Mr.  Young,  who  is  traveling  with 
me,  gives  accurate  and  detailed  accounts  of 
every  place  we  visit,  and  all  we  see,  nothing  of 
this  sort  is  necessary  from  me.  I  keep  somewhat 
careful  notes,  however, — have  since  leaving 
Paris  for  the  East,  —  but  doubt  whether  I  shall 
ever  use  them  further  than  for  my  own  refer 
ence. 

The  weather  is  getting  very  warm  in  this  sec 
tion,  and  we  must  expect  a  good  deal  of  it  be 
fore  we  get  to  a  cool  climate.  In  a  few  days 
we  start  for  Bangkok,  Siam,  and  return  here — 
within  a  degree  of  the  equator — to  take  steam 
er  for  Hong  Kong.  I  shall  then  visit  Chinese 
ports  as  far  north  as  Shanghai,  and  possibly  go 
to  Pekin  before  visiting  Japan.  It  looks  now  as 
if  we  would  reach  San  Francisco  as  early  as 


90 


August.  I  am  both  homesick  and  dread  going 
home.  I  have  no  home,  but  must  establish  one 
after  I  get  back.  I  do  not  know  where. 


JLetter 


Government  House ^  Hong  Kong, 
May  4,  1879. 

T7  AM  just  in  receipt  of  your  letter  of  the 
I  4th  of  February  from  San  Antonio.  I  was 
Li  in  San  Antonio  in  December,  1845,  when 
it  was  but  little  else  than  a  Mexican  town  and 
isolated  from  all  settlements.  From  Corpus 
Christi  to  San  Antonio  there  was  not  a  family 
except  a  few  Mexican  settlers  along  the  San 
Antonio  River  for  some  miles  below  the  town. 
From  there  to  Austin  there  was  not  a  habita 
tion  except  at  New  Bensfelt,  which  had  been 
colonized,  I  think,  that  year. 
We  are  now  on  the  homestretch,  letters  going 
much  quicker  to  America  by  the  East  than  by 
the  West.  Up  to  this  time  myself  and  party 
have  had  the  same  hearty  welcome  and  kind 
hospitalities  as  we  experienced  throughout  In 
dia.  It  promises  to  be  the  same  thing  through 
China  and  Japan.  At  this  place  I  have  received 
official  notification  from  both  governments  of 
their  desire  to  make  my  stay  among  them  as 


92 


pleasant  as  possible.  This  is  really  the  most 
beautiful  place  I  have  yet  seen  in  the  East. 
The  city  is  admirably  built  and  the  scenery  is 
most  picturesque.  The  harbor  is  made  by  the 
irregular  high  land  on  the  main  shore  and  in 
numerable  islands  coming  up  out  of  the  sea 
and  rising  to  a  height  of  from  500  to  1,700 
feet  above.  We  go  to-morrow  to  Canton, 
thence  to  Shanghai  and  Pekin.  On  the  way  we 
will  make  short  stops  at  several  China  sea 
ports.  I  expect  to  reach  Yokohama  about  the 
last  of  June,  and  San  Francisco  late  in  August. 
I  expect  to  remain  on  the  Pacific  for  some 
weeks,  and  then  go  to  Galena  to  remain  until 
the  weather  gets  cold.  Where  we  will  spend 
the  winter  I  have  not  determined.  We  may  go 
to  Florida  and  Havana. 


93 


lUtter 


Nikko^  Japan^ 
July  23,  1879. 

OME  weeks  since  I  received  your  letter 
written  after  you  had  received  mine  from 
Bombay.  You  had  not  received  one  from 
me  written  after  your  suggestion  had  been  re 
ceived  to  go  to  Galena  on  my  return  home.  I 
answered  that  letter,  saying  that  I  should  go 
there,  and  presume  you  received  it  after  yours 
was  written.  Lest  you  may  not  have  received 
it,  however,  I  repeat  that  it  has  been  my  in 
tention  to  go  to  Galena  on  my  return. 
Since  my  last  to  you  I  have  visited  the  princi 
pal  seacoast  cities  in  China,  and  Pekin  in  the 
interior,  and  have  now  been  nearly  a  month  in 
this  most  interesting  country  and  among  these 
interesting  people.  China  stands  where  she  did 
when  her  ports  were  first  opened  to  foreign 
trade.  I  think  I  see  dawning,  however,  the  be 
ginning  of  a  change.  When  it  does  come  China 
will  rapidly  become  a  powerful  and  rich  nation. 
Her  territory  is  vast  and  is  full  of  resources, 


94 


agricultural,  mineral ;  iron,  coal,  copper,  silver, 
and  gold,  besides  nearly  every  other  metal, 
abound  as  they  do  with  us.  The  population  is 
industrious,  frugal,  intelligent,  and  quick  to 
learn.  They  are  natural  artisans  and  trades 
men.  From  Bombay  to  Hong  Kong  they  mo 
nopolize  all  the  trades — mechanical  —  the  mar 
ket  gardening,  trucking,  stevedoring,  small 
shopkeeping,  etc.,  and  are  rapidly  driving  out 
the  larger  merchants.  They  cannot  do  so  well, 
however,  in  their  own  country.  They  must 
have  the  protection  of  a  better  and  more  hon 
est  government  to  succeed.  Neither  the  coun 
try,  cities,  nor  people  present  attractions  to 
invite  the  traveller  to  make  a  second  visit. 
Japan  is  different.  The  country  is  beautiful 
beyond  description.  Every  street  and  every 
house  is  as  clean  as  they  can  be  made.  Good 
water  prevails  everywhere  and  it  is  freely  used. 
The  progress  that  has  been  made  in  the  last 
dozen  years  is  almost  inconceivable.  Free 
schools  abound  all  over  the  land,  giving  facili 
ties  for  every  child,  male  and  female,  to  get  a 
fair  education.  Attendance  is  almost  compul 
sory  between  certain  ages.  In  the  cities  they 
have  academies,  colleges,  and  normal  schools, 


95 


both  to  prepare  males  and  females.  It  has  been 
my  privilege  to  visit  at  Tokio  (Yeddo)  their 
military  and  naval  academies,  their  school  of 
science,  their  college,  their  normal  school  for 
young  ladies,  a  very  large  school  for  children, 
taught  by  female  teachers  prepared  at  the  nor 
mal  school,  and  other  places  of  learning.  The 
two  former  compare  very  well  with  our  own 
military  and  naval  academies  in  course  taught, 
discipline,  drill,  and  progress  of  the  students. 
A  student  to  enter  the  school  of  science  must 
be  a  good  English  scholar,  and  after  entering 
all  his  text  books  and  recitations  are  in  Eng 
lish. 

The  course  is  six  years,  the  last  two  in  appli 
cation  of  what  they  learned  in  the  first  four. 
A  portion  of  each  year  —  taking  the  place  of 
vacation  with  us — is  also  spent  in  the  work 
shops,  making  parts  of  machinery,  models  of 
engines,  of  looms,  machinery  for  spinning  and 
weaving,  etc.,  etc.  Many  of  their  teachers  are 
natives,  though  the  studies  are  in  English.  It 
will  be  but  a  few  years  before  they  will  be  able 
to  dispense  with  foreign  instruction  entirely. 
We  leave  for  home  by  the  "City  of  Tokio," 
which  will  sail  from  Yokohama  about  the  2jth 


of  August.  I  shall  be  glad  to  be  settled  down 
at  home.  .  .  . 

I  forgot  to  mention  that  students  to  enter  the 
college  must  study  English  five  years  first, 
making  a  nine-year  course.  Here,  too,  they 
have  one  or  two  native  professors. 


97 


lUtter 


Philadelphia^  Pennsylvania^ 
December  22,  1879. 

INCE  my  arrival  here  I  have  scarcely 
had  time  to  read  my  mail,  much  less 
answer  it.  The  people  of  Philadelphia 
have  shown  a  cordiality  unsurpassed,  but  they 
hare  kept  me  so  constantly  going  that  I  have 
not  been  able  to  see  what  the  papers  say  about 
it.  But  I  suppose  it  is  all  reported.  I  have  de 
termined  to  leave  here  for  the  South  on  Satur 
day  next.  I  hope  you  can  go  along.  I  rather 
expect  Sheridan  and  Fred  and  their  wives.  But 
this  is  not  yet  certain.  We  will  remain  in 
Washington  over  Sunday  and  Monday,  so  our 
start  will  really  be  from  there  on  Tuesday  the 
3<Dth.  I  have  seen  Mr.  DeFranch.  I  did  not 
look  at  his  letters,  because  I  had  not  the  time, 
and  I  knew  what  they  contained  from  persons 
who  did  see  them.  They  amount  substantially 
to  a  promise  of  funds  for  the  construction  of  a 
canal  if  all  the  conditions  are  right.  I  expressed 
my  interest  in  the  enterprise,  and  the  interest 


I  had  taken  in  it  for  a  good  many  years,  and 
my  willingness  to  aid  it  all  I  could  so  long  as 
it  seemed  to  be  in  honest  hands  j  but  that  I 
could  give  no  promise  of  further  connection 
with  it  than  my  good  offices  until  a  proper 
concession  was  obtained,  the  money  subscribed, 
and  every  preliminary  arranged  to  insure  the 
completion  of  the  work,  and  then  I  would  de 
termine  whether  I  would  take  a  more  active 
part.  After  all  other  preliminaries  are  arranged 
it  will  take  a  complete  working  season  in  the 
tropics  to  determine  positively  whether  the  un 
dertaking  is  entirely  practicable  or  not. 
If  you  do  not  go  South  with  us  I  will  write 
you  again  from  Florida. 


99 


JUtter  jttriti 

St.  Augustine,  Florida^ 
January  1 8,  1880. 

T7  WROTE  you  a  hasty  letter  from  Phila- 
I  delphia,  but  do  not  know  whether  you  re- 
*•*  ceived  it.  Our  trip  through  the  South  has 
been,  so  far,  without  an  incident  to  mar  the 
pleasure  of  it.  All  the  way  from  Washington 
the  people  of  all  classes  and  colors  were  at  the 
stations  to  meet  the  train  and  to  extend  invita 
tions  for  myself  and  party  to  stop  and  accept 
their  hospitalities.  The  business  boom  has 
reached  the  South,  and  the  people  are  begin 
ning  to  feel  much  better  contented  in  conse 
quence.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with  Florida. 
The  winter  climate  is  perfection,  and  I  am 
told  by  Northern  men  settled  here  that  the 
summers  are  not  near  so  hot  here  as  in  the 
North,  though  of  longer  continuance.  This 
State  has  a  great  future  before  it.  It  has  the 
capacity  to  raise  all  the  sugar  and  semi-tropical 
fruits  the  whole  country  needs,  besides  supply 
ing  vast  amounts  of  timber,  early  vegetables, 


100 


nice  material  for  paper,  rope,  bagging,  coarse 
matting,  etc.  It  affords  the  best  opening  to  be 
found  in  any  country  for  young  men  of  little 
means  but  full  of  energy,  industry,  and  patience. 
The  impetus  given  already  will  supply  in  a  few 
years  all  the  semi-tropical  fruits  required  by  the 
country.  What  is  now  wanted  is  the  establish 
ment  of  moderate  sugar  mills  over  the  country, 
to  buy  all  the  sugar  cane  small  farmers  will 
furnish.  The  State  is  underlayed  and  has  around 
it  deposits  of  valuable  fertilizers  sufficient  for 
many  generations.  If  you  do  not  join  me  in 
Cuba  I  hope  you  will  come  here  to  spend 
March  and  April.  I  do  not  doubt  but  you 
would  receive  much  benefit  from  the  visit. 
I  will  sail  from  Cedar  Keys  for  Havana  on  the 
2Oth.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  has  placed 
at  Havana  a  vessel  at  my  command.  I  think  I 
shall  make  an  excursion  to  Hayti,  St.  Domin 
go,  Porto  Rico,  and  Jamaica,  and  swing  around 
by  Yucatan,  so  as  to  reach  Vera  Cruz  about 
the  1 5th  of  February.  When  I  return  it  will 
be  by  the  way  of  Galveston  and  Denver.  At 
the  latter  place  and  in  Colorado  generally  I 
expecl:  to  stop  until  the  weather  is  pleasant  in 
Galena,  say  about  the  loth  of  May.  I  shall  be 


101 


very  much  pleased  to  meet  you  in  Havana  and 
have  you  go  on  this  trip  to  the  West  Indies, 
if  you  are  sailor  enough  to  enjoy  the  excursion. 


102 


better 


Havana^  Cuba** 
February  2,  1880. 

'OUR  letter  of  the  25th  of  January  is 
just  received.  The  same  mail  brings 
New  York  papers  of  the  29th,  by 
which  I  see  you  were  in  that  city  at  that  time. 
Your  letter  directed  to  me  in  Washington 
city  was  received  there,  but  I  neglected  to 
mention  it.  I  see  by  the  papers  the  same  that 
you  mention  about  ...  I  predict  that  it  will 
do  him  no  good,  and  as  far  as  it  may  affect  me  I 
care  nothing  about  it/All  that  I  want  is  that  the 
government  rule  should  remain  in  the  hands 
of  those  who  saved  the  Union  until  all  the 
questions  growing  out  of  the  war  are  forever 
settled.  I  would  much  rather  any  one  of  many 
I  could  mention  should  be  President  rather 
than  that  I  should  have  it.  On  that  subject  I 
stand  just  as  I  told  you  in  Chicago.  I  shall  not 
gratify  my  enemies  by  declining  what  has  not 
been  offered.  I  am  not  a  candidate  for  any 
thing,  and  if  the  Chicago  convention  nomi- 


103 


nates  a  candidate  who  can  be  elected,  it  will 
gratify  me,  and  the  gratification  will  be  greater 
if  it  should  be  some  one  other  than  myselfr'ln 
confidence  I  will  tell  you  I  should  feel  sorry 
if  it  should  be  ...  Elaine  I  would  like  to  see 
elected,  but  I  fear  the  party  could  not  elect 
him.  He  would  create  enthusiasm,  but  he  would 
have  opposition  in  his  own  party  that  might 
lose  him  some  Northern  States  that  the  Re 
publicans  should  carry. 

My  reception  here  has  been  more  than  cordial 
by  both  officials  and  the  people.  The  weather 
is  sultry,  just  such  as  we  run  from  at  home  in 
the  dog  days.  If  this  winter  is  a  sample,  Flor 
ida  is  a  much  better  winter  resort. 
Please  present  Mrs.  Grant's  and  my  best  re 
gards  to  Mrs.  Washburn  and  your  family, 
with  the  same  to  yourself.  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
hear  from  you  in  the  City  of  Mexico. 


104 


iletter  I 


Galveston^  Texasy 
March  25,  1880. 

YOUR  letter  of  the  nth  of  February 
only  reached  Mexico  by  the  mail  but 
one  before  my  departure.  I  was  away 
from  the  City  of  Mexico  at  the  time  on  an 
excursion  to  the  Rio  Del  Monte  silver  mines, 
and  did  not  return  until  after  the  departure  of 
the  steamer  bringing  it.  Yours  of  the  26th  of 
February  was  taken  by  the  steamer  on  which 
I  returned.  There  was  no  opportunity  of  an 
swering  either,  therefore,  earlier,  or  so  that  you 
could  receive  it  earlier  than  by  writing  from 
here. 

In  regard  to  your  suggestion  that  I  should 
authorize  some  one  to  say  that  in  no  event 
would  I  consent  to  ever  being  a  candidate  after 
1880,  I  think  any  statement  from  me  would 
be  misconstrued,  and  would  only  serve  as  a 
handle  for  my  enemies.  Such  a  statement  might 
well  be  made  after  the  nomination,  if  I  am 
nominated  in  such  a  way  as  to  accept.  It  is  a 


105 


matter  of  supreme  indifference  to  me  whether 
I  am  or  not.  There  are  many  persons  I  would 
prefer  should  have  the  office  to  myself.  I  owe 
so  much  to  the  Union  men  of  the  country  that 
if  they  think  my  chances  are  better  for  elec 
tion  than  for  other  probable  candidates  in  case 
I  should  decline,  I  cannot  decline  if  the  nomi 
nation  is  tendered  without  seeking  on  my  part. 
Mexico  shows  many  signs  of  progress  since  I 
was  there  thirty-two  years  ago.  Railroads  are 
pushing  out  slowly  from  the  capital,  and  with 
every  advance  greater  prosperity  and  employ 
ment  for  the  poor  follow.  I  think  it  should  be 
the  policy  of  our  government  now  to  cultivate 
the  strongest  feelings  of  friendship  between  the 
people  of  the  two  republics.  Soon  we  will  have 
railroad  connection  between  the  two  countries, 
and  our  people  will  begin  to  mix  and  become 
better  acquainted.  Mexico  can,  and  will,  raise 
all  the  tropical  and  semi-tropical  products 
which  we  now  buy  from  countries  that  take 
nothing  from  us  in  exchange,  except  sterling 
exchange,  and  will  take  from  us  in  return  the 
products  of  our  manufacturers.  Americans  are 
beginning  now  to  work  their  mines.  Soon  they 
will  be  cultivating  their  sugar,  coffee,  and  to- 


106 


bacco  plantations,  running  their  fa&ories,  do 
ing  their  banking,  etc.  I  go  to  San  Antonio 
for  a  day  or  two,  thence  to  New  Orleans,  and 
up  the  river  to  Memphis.  I  will  probably  run 
over  to  Hot  Springs  from  the  latter  place,  to 
absorb  time  until  the  weather  in  Galena  be 
comes  pleasant.  I  do  not  care  to  arrive  there 
before  the  first  of  May. 


107 


NOTES 


109 


LETTER  I.  Note  I.  .  .  .  Mr.  Rawlins  .  .  . 
John  A.  Rawlins  (1831-1869),  joined  General  Grant's 
staff  in  August,  1861,  and  served  with  him  to  the  close 
of  the  rebellion.  He  became  Secretary  of  War  in  March, 
1869.  Grant  was  greatly  attached  to  him,  and  deeply 
mourned  his  death. 

LETTER  II.  Note  2.  ...  Captain  A.  S.  Bax 
ter  ... 

While  the  world  was  honoring  General  Grant  on  the 
seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  his  birth,  Algernon  Sidney 
Baxter  (1819-1897),  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  his 
staff,  was  dying.  He  was  a  son  of  the  Chief  Justice  of 
Vermont,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  went  to  Boston, 
the  Mecca  of  most  New  England  boys.  When  the  war 
began  he  was  a  merchant  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  became 
acquainted  with  Grant.  He  immediately  abandoned 
business  for  the  army,  serving  on  the  General's  staff  at 
Fort  Donelson  and  Shiloh,  with  the  rank  of  captain. 
At  Shiloh,  Baxter  carried  to  General  Lew  Wallace 
that  celebrated  dispatch  which  has  caused  so  much  dis 
pute.  Grant,  in  his  "  Personal  Memoirs,"  says :  "  Cap 
tain  Baxter,  a  quartermaster  on  my  staff,  was  accord 
ingly  direfted  to  go  back  and  order  General  Wallace 
to  march  immediately  to  Pittsburg  by  the  road  nearest 
the  river.  Captain  Baxter  made  a  memorandum  of  this 


III 


order.  .  .  .  General  Wallace  has  since  claimed  that  the 
order  delivered  to  him  by  the  captain  was  simply  to  join 
the  right  of  the  army."  Baxter's  condition  of  health 
compelled  him  soon  after  to  leave  the  service,  when  he 
entered  Wall  Street,  pursuing  a  successful  career  in  the 
great  metropolis,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight.  He  was  the  last  survivor  of  those  who  served  on 
Grant's  staff  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson  and  Shiloh. 

LETTER  III.  Note  3.  ...  Colonel  C.  C.  Wasb- 
burn  .  .  . 

Cadwallader  Colden  Washburn  (1818-1882),  colonel 
Second  Wisconsin  Cavalry,  October  10,  i86ij  briga 
dier  general,  July  16,  18625  and  major  general,  No 
vember  29,  1862.  After  the  Civil  War  he  was  elefled 
to  Congress  and  in  1872,  became  Governor  of  Wiscon 
sin.  Later  he  was  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for  the 
United  States  Senate.  His  brother,  also  a  Congress 
man,  wrote  the  family  name  with  a  final  "e,"  but  in 
no  instance  within  the  editor's  knowledge  did  Grant 
ever  add  that  letter  when  writing  to  Mr.  Washburne. 

LETTER  III.  Note  4.  ...  Clarkesville  .  .  . 

Suit  was  brought  after  the  war  for  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars  by  the  owners  of  whiskey  in 
Clarkesville,  destroyed  as  a  matter  of  precaution  by  a 
chosen  committee,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  vi&orious  Northern  army,  said  to  be  advancing  on 
the  town,  —  its  commander  being  reported  as  intoxi 
cated,  and  utterly  unable  to  control  his  troops.  The 


112 


owners  brought  suit  in  1865  against  the  members  of 
the  committee,  consisting  of  the  wealthiest  citizens 
of  the  town.  At  the  first  trial  the  jury  disagreed  as  to 
whether  Grant  was  drunk  or  sober,  the  decision  in  the 
case  turning  on  that  point  ;  in  the  second  the  verdict 
was  that  the  commander  was  intoxicated,  and  on  the 
third  trial  that  he  was  perfectly  sober,  so  that  the  com 
mittee  finally  lost  their  case  and  were  compelled  to  pay, 
but  not  the  full  value  of  the  whiskey,  as  the  parties 
compromised  the  case,  receiving  about  twenty  per  cent. 
of  its  value.  This  statement  was  received  in  August, 
1897,  by  the  writer,  from  a  United  States  District 
Judge  of  Tennessee,  who  was  one  of  the  counsel  em 
ployed  in  the  curious  case. 


LETTER  V.  Note  5.  .  .  .  in  our  present 
cause. 

About  the  same  period  the  General  says  in  a  letter  to 
his  father:  "You  must  not  expect  me  to  write  in  my 
own  defence,  nor  to  permit  it  from  any  one  about  me. 
I  know  that  the  feeling  of  the  troops  under  my  com 
mand  is  favorable  to  me,  and  so  long  as  I  continue  to 
do  my  duty  faithfully  it  will  remain  so.  I  require  no  de 
fenders."  In  his  second  inaugural  address  Grant  gave 
expression  to  his  sense  of  the  injustice  done  to  him  by 
shameful  and  vindictive  criticism,  saying  in  conclusion, 
"Throughout  the  war  and  from  my  candidacy  to  the 
present  office,  in  1868,  to  the  close  of  the  last  presiden 
tial  campaign,  I  have  been  the  subject  of  abuse  and 
slander,  scarcely  ever  equalled  in  political  history,  which 


to-day  I  feel  that  I  can  afford  to  disregard,  in  view  of 
your  verdift,  which  I  most  gratefully  accept  as  my  vin 
dication." 

LETTER  VII.  Note  6.  .  .  .  Colonel  Ransom. 
Thomas  E.  G.  Ransom  (1834-1864.),  major  Eleventh 
Illinois  Infantry,  July  30,  1861  j  colonel,  February  15, 
1862;  and  brigadier  general,  November  29,  1862.  He 
was  among  the  most  gallant  of  our  young  volunteer 
officers  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

LETTER  VIII.  Note  7.  ...  Mr.  Leonard 
Swett  .  .  . 

Leonard  Swett  (1825-1889),  a  successful  Illinois  lawyer 
and  an  intimate  friend  of  President  Lincoln,  made  the 
nomination  speech  for  the  latter  in  the  Chicago  Con 
vention  of  1860,  which  the  writer  happened  to  hear, 
and  in  1887  he  delivered  the  oration  at  the  unveiling 
of  the  Lincoln  Statue  in  Chicago.  During  the  war  Mr. 
Swett  had  charge  of  a  large  number  of  cases  for  the 
Government,  earning  a  high  reputation  both  as  a  civil 
and  as  a  criminal  lawyer.  He  said  to  Grant  at  Cairo, "  We 
are  the  lowest  bidders  and  insist  upon  having  the  con- 
traft;  if  not,  the  matter  will  be  placed  before  the  Presi 
dent}"  to  which  the  General  calmly  replied,  "I  shall 
buy  the  hay  in  open  market  at  a  lower  rate  than  you 
offer  it,  and  will  transport  the  hay  on  your  road  [the 
Illinois  Central],  of  which  I  shall  take  immediate  pos 
session."  Grant  then  added,  "If  I  find  you  in  this  mili 
tary  district  at  the  expiration  of  twenty-four  hours,  you 


will  be  imprisoned  and  probably  shot."  Hastening  to 
Washington  the  indignant  lawyer  laid  the  matter  be 
fore  Lincoln,  who  said,  "  Well,  Swett,  if  I  were  in  your 
place,  I  should  keep  out  of  Ulysses  Simpson's  baili 
wick,  for  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  belief  Grant 
will  keep  his  promise  if  he  catches  you  in  Cairo.  In 
fa£t,  Leonard,  you  had  better  'take  to  de  woods,"  as 
the  colored  brother  remarked."  Mr.  Swett,  who  in  later 
years  became  one  of  the  General's  greatest  admirers, 
and  who  was  one  of  the  306  that  strongly  urged 
Grant's  nomination  for  a  presidential  third  term,  told 
this  story  as  here  related  by  the  present  writer. 

LETTER  X.  Note  8.  ...  Senator  Wilson  .  .  . 
Henry  Wilson  of  Massachusetts  (1812-1875),  who  in 
1872  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States 
on  the  ticket  with  General  Grant. 

LETTER  X.  Note  9.  ...  Dana  .  .  . 

Charles  A.  Dana  (1819-1897),  Assistant  Secretary  of 

War,  and  late  editor  of  the  New  York  Sun. 

LETTER  X.  Note  10.  .  .  .  Maltby  .  .  . 
Jasper    A.    Maltby    (1826-1867),    lieutenant    colonel 
Forty-fifth   Illinois  Infantry,  August,    18615  colonel, 
November  29,  1862,  and  brigadier  general,  August  4, 
1863. 

LETTER  XII.  Note  n.  .  .  .  Our  troops  be 
haved  most  magnificently^  and  have  inflifted  on 


the  enemy  the  heaviest  blow  they  have  received 
during  the  war. 

"After  having  broken  the  impedimenta  which  closed 
the  passage  of  the  Mississippi,  it  is  again  Grant,"  writes 
the  Count  of  Paris  of  the  viftory  at  Chattanooga,  "  who 
has  just  opened  the  doors  of  Georgia.  The  Federal 
armies  have  at  last  found  the  warrior  worthy  to  lead 
them.  The  bold  and  skilful  manoeuvres  which  began 
in  the  valley  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  terminated  a 
month  later  near  the  spot  where  Bragg  and  Davis  had 
contemplated  a  Union  army  besieged  at  their  feet,  en 
hance  the  glory  of  the  conqueror  of  Vicksburg.  He  has 
proved  that  his  mind,  powerful  to  conceive,  firm  to  exe 
cute,  is  fertile  in  resources  at  the  critical  time." 

LETTER  XVI.  Note  12. 

This  cipher  dispatch  is  included  among  the  Grant- 
Washburne  correspondence,  and  was  probably  sent  to 
the  latter  by  the  General  at  the  same  time  that  the 
original  was  telegraphed  to  the  President. 

LETTER  XX.  Note  13.  ...  the  completion  of 

the  medal  .   .   . 

Presented  to  General  Grant  by  Congress  for  the  cap 
ture  of  Vicksburg  and  opening  the  Mississippi  River 
from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  j  also  for  his  great 
viftory  at  Chattanooga. 

LETTER  XXII.  Note  14.  ...  Mr.  Stuart  .  .  . 
George  Hay  Stuart  (1816-1890),  an  opulent  merchant 


116 


and  philanthropist,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  twice 
offered  a  position  in  General  Grant's  Cabinet. 

LETTER  XXV.  Note  15.  .  .  .  General 
Dix  .  .  . 

John  Adams  Dix  (1798-1879).  Nominated  as  United 
States  Minister  to  France. 

LETTER  XXV.  Note  16.  .  .  .  that  ever  ema 
nated  from  any  President. 

The  quarrel  between  President  Johnson  and  the  Re 
publican  majority  in  Congress  was  at  this  time  at  its 
height.  Every  bill  vetoed  by  the  President  was  passed 
over  his  veto. 

LETTER  XXV.  Note  17.  Jerry  Black  .   .  . 
Jeremiah  S.  Black  (1810-1883),  Attorney  General  in 
Buchanan's  Cabinet,  and  the  successor  of  General  Cass 
as  Secretary  of  State. 

LETTER  XXVIII.  Note  18.  .  .  .  In  accepting 
it  I  do  so  with  regret  that  your  health  will  not 
permit  you  to  continue  in  the  office  or  in  some 
Cabinet  position. 

Mr.  Washburne  was  soon  after  appointed  by  General 
Grant  American  Minister  to  France.  During  the  siege 
of  Paris  he  remained  at  his  post  when  many  of  the 
representatives  of  other  powers  fled  from  the  city. 


117 


LETTER  XXIX.  Note  19.  ...  Hon.  J.  F. 

Wilson  .  .  . 

James  F.  Wilson  (1828-1895),  for  two  terms  United 
States  Senator  from  Iowa. 

LETTER  XXX.  Note  20.  ...  McCullock  .  .  . 

The  Hon.  Hugh  McCulloch  (1808-1895),  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  in  the  administrations  of  Lincoln,  John 
son  and  Arthur. 

LETTER  XXXV.  Note  21.  ...  Curtin  .  .  . 

Andrew  Gregg  Curtin  (1817-1894),  was  appointed 
Minister  to  Russia  by  General  Grant  in  1869.  On  n^s 
return  in  1872  he  earnestly  supported  Horace  Greeley 
for  the  presidency. 

LETTER  XXXV.  Note  22.  ...  might  also  be 
added  to  the  doubtful  States. 

Mr.  Greeley  (1811-1872),  carried  only  the  six  States  of 
Georgia,  Kentucky,  Maryland,  Missouri,  Tennessee, 
and  Texas. 

LETTER  XLIX.  Note  23.  Havana,  Cuba. 
Replying  to  an  inquiry  concerning  the  defences  of 
Havana,  the  General  in  a  communication  to  a  friend 
writes  a  few  years  after  the  date  of  his  letter  from  Cuba : 
"On  my  visit  to  Havana  three  years  ago,  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  the  forts  and  the  armament.  Both 
are  formidable,  and  with  additions  that  could  easily  be 


118 


made  before  any  country  could  attack  them,  impreg 
nable  from  direcl  attack.  Bat  I  should  not  regard  Ha 
vana  as  a  difficult  place  to  capture  with  a  combined 
army  and  navy.  It  would  have  to  be  done,  however,  by 
effe&ing  a  landing  elsewhere  and  cutting  off  land  com 
munications  with  the  army,  while  the  navy  would  per 
form  the  same  service  on  the  water.  The  hostility  of 
the  native  population  to  the  Spanish  authority  would 
make  this  a  comparatively  easy  task  for  any  first-class 
power, and  especially  easy  for  the  United  States  incase 
of  a  war  with  Spain." 


119 


INDEX 


121 


Charles  Francis  .          .        70 

Adams,  Mrs.  Charles  Francis  .          .        38 

Allen,  Robert      .         .  .  .           19, 2O 
American  people            ....        66 

Anderson,  Robert          .  .  .          .66 

Army  of  the  Tennessee  ...        28 

Arthur,  Chester  A.      .  .  .          .118 

Bangkok,  Si  am            .  .  .          .90 

Baxter,  Algernon  S.      .  .  3,  ill,  112 

Black,  Jeremiah  S.      .  .  .         52,117 

Elaine,  James  G.         .  .  .          .104 

Blair,  Francis  P.    fT.  -57 

Bombay,  India     .          .  .  .           88, 95 

Bragg,  Braxton           .  .  .          .116 

British  Rule  in  India  .  .          .      viii 

Bowers,  Theodore  S.     .  .  .          .        38 

Brown,  Joseph  E.  .  .          -53 

Buchanan's  Cabinet     .  .  .          .117 

C/  abinet  position           .  .  .          .117 

Cairo,  Illinois      .          .  .  i,  3,  18,  19 

Calais,  France    .          .  .  .          .79 


123 


Call  for  Troops    . 

36 

Canton,  China     . 

•      93 

Carlyle,  Thomas  . 

X 

Cass,  Lewis        .         .         . 

.     117 

Cedar  Keys,  Florida     . 

IOI 

Christian  Commission  . 

.   48 

Chattanooga,  Battle  of 

31,116 

Chattanooga,  Tennessee 

•    3°>3I>32 

Chicago  Convention 

.     114 

Chicago  Nominations    . 

.     103 

Chinese  Ports 

.      90 

Christmas,  1865 

•      49 

Cincinnati  Convention 

..      69 

Civil  War,  1861-65    - 

.       112 

City  of  Mexico    .          .          . 

.        104,  105 

City  of  Tokio 

.         96 

City  Point,  Virginia    .    36,  37, 

38,4i,  43,  45 

Clarkesville,  Tennessee 

5,112 

Cold  Harbor,  Virginia 

•       34 

Colorado      .... 

.       IOI 

Confederate  Government 

.       16 

Confederate  States 

.      28 

Covington,  Kentucky     . 

14,  15 

Corinth,  Mississippi     . 

10,13 

Corpus  Christi,  Texas  . 

.      92 

Culpepper  Court  House 

•      33 

124 


Cumberland  River 

7 

Curious  Trial 

.       112 

Curtin,  Andrew  G. 

71,118 

Uavis,  J.  C.  Bancroft 

.         82 

Davis,  Jefferson 

.     116 

DeFranch,  Mr. 

.         .       98 

Democratic  Party 

75,81 

Demcratic  Success 

.       66 

Dickey,  T.  Lyle  . 

13 

Dix,  John  Adams 

52,  117 

Divided  North    . 

38 

Dodge,  William  E.     . 

.       58 

Done/son,  Fort  . 

4,6,  in,  112 

iLastern  Railway  Company 

.       80 

East  Tennessee    . 

-       57 

English  in  India 

.       90 

European  Tour    . 

.       65 

federal  Armies 

.     116 

Fifteenth  Amendment 

.       64 

First  Class  Powers 

.     119 

Florida,  Climate  of 

IOO 

Fortieth  Congress 

.       60 

Franco-German  War 

.       68 

Frankfort,  Germany     . 

81,83 

Fremont,  John  C. 

2 

125 


Galena,  Illinois  47,  48,  50,  57,  73, 

93>94>  101,107 

Galveston,  Texas          .          .         .  IOI 

Georgetown,  D.  C.  .          .          .       48 

Gladstone,  William  E.  .  .  .  ix 
Grenada,  Mississippi  .  .  .  .22 

Grant,  Frederick  D 98 

Grant  at  Cairo  .  .  .  .  114,115 
Grant,  Anecdote  of  .  .  .  .114 
Grant,  Mrs.  Julia  D.  .  45,  80,  85,  104 
Grant's  Cabinet  .  .  .  .117 
Grant's  Gold  Medal  .  .  .  .116 
Grant's  Nomination  .  .  .  .  115 
Grant,  U.  S.  vii,  viii,  ix,iu,H2,  113,  116 
Grant- Washburne  Letters  .  .  .  116 
Great  Commanders  ....  viii 
Greeley,  Horace  .  69,  70,  72,  73,  1 1 8 
Greeleyites,  The  .  .  .  .  71 

Grinnell,  Moses  H.  .  .  .  .  58 
Gulf  of  Mexico 116 

Halleck,  Henry  W.   .         .  8,  9,  15,  27 

Havana,  Cuba  .  .  93,  IOI,  IO2,  103,  118 
Havana  easily  taken  .  .  .  in 

Hong-Kong,  China  .  ,  .  90, 92, 95 
Hooker,  Joseph  .  .  .  .  31 


I2b 


Hewlett  House   . 

44 

Hunter,  David 

.       24 

Illinois  Central  Railway 

.     114 

Illinois  Infantry,  Eleventh    . 

16,  114 

Illinois  Infantry,  Forty-fifth 

-     U5 

luka,  Battle  of  . 

22 

Japanese,  The  . 

viii 

James  River 

•       43 

Jefferson  City,  Missouri 

i 

yo  Daveiss  County 

.       48 

Johnson,  Andrew 

52,  57,  "7»  II8 

Johnson,  Reverdy 

•       53 

Jones,  y.  Russell 

53>54 

Judah,  General  . 

•       '3 

JLta  Grange,  Tennessee 

.       18 

Lee's  Virginia  Army    . 

•      35 

Lieutenant-General 

•      33 

Lincoln,  Abraham 

viii,  36,  114,  115 

Lincoln,  Anecdote  of    . 

.     115 

Lincoln  Administration 

.     118 

Lincoln  Statue  Address 

.     114 

Liverpool,  England 

•      77 

London       . 

•    77,79,80 

Long  Branch,  N".  J.   . 

•    7^74,  85 

Lookout  Mountain 

31,116 

127 


McClellan^  George  B. 

8 

McCulloch,  Hugh 

63,118 

McGarrahan  Claim    . 

60,  61 

McPherson,  James  B. 

24,  25 

Malt  by  ^  Jasper  A.      . 

28,115 

Maryland  Raid 

•      37 

Meade^  George  G. 

•      4i 

Memphis^  Tennessee     . 

.16,22,107 

Mexico  progressing 

.     106 

Mexican  Settlers 

.        .      92 

Mississippi  River 

.     116 

Missionary  Ridge 

•      3* 

Milwaukee^  Wisconsin 

4 

Napoleon  the  Third  . 

.          64,68 

Nashville,  Tennessee     . 

5 

New  England  Boys 

.         .in 

New  Orleans,  Louisiana 

55,  107 

New  York  City  . 

•      49 

New  Yorkers 

*        .      58 

New  York  Papers 

.     103 

Nikko,  Japan     . 

•      94 

North  and  South 

.       28 

North  American  Review 

viii 

Northern  Army  .         .         t 

.      112 

Northern  Illinois 

•         30 

128 


November  Elections      .          .          .    72,  73, 88 

Old  England     .  .          .        89 

October  Elections          .          .          .          -57 

Pacific  Coast 86 

Paris,  Count  of  .  .  .  .  .116 
Paris  .  77,79,80,82,83,86 

Ptfr/ j,  Siege  of  .  .          .117 

Peace  Friends  .....  39 
Pekin,  China  ....  90,  93,  94 
Pennsylvania  .  .  .  .  71 

Personal  Memoirs         .          .          .  1 1 1 

Philadelphia  Cordiality  ...  98 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania  .  .  47,  86,  98 
Pittsburg  Landing  .  .  .  .ill 
P0/>^,  y<?^«  .  .  .14 

j°0rta  -&/V0  .  .  .  .  .101 
Potomac,  Army  of  the  .  .  .  .  27 
Potomac  River  .  .  .  .  .  j  I 
Prentiss,  Benjamin  Af.  ...  2 
Presidential  Candidate  .  .  .105 
Prussian  King  .....  68 

J\anson,  Thomas  E.  G.        .  17,  114 

Rawlins,  John  A.         .          .         I,  24,  29, 45, 

62,  66,  in 
Reconstruction  Measures        .          .  52, 55 


129 


Republican  Administration    . 

•        •       74 

Republican  Party 

.      66 

Repudiationists    .          .          . 

•       75 

Richmond,  Virginia 

•       36 

Rio  del  Afonte     . 

.     105 

Rosecrans,  William  S. 

22 

AJ/.  jfugustine,  Florida          . 

.       IOO 

San  Antonio,  Texas 

92,  107 

San  Antonio  River       . 

•         92 

San  Domingo 

.      101 

San  Francisco 

.  86,90,93 

Saratoga,  New  York    . 

.     62 

Savannah^  Tennessee    . 

6 

Scott,  Winfield    . 

•      37 

Semi-tropical  Fruits 

.     106 

Seventeenth  Corps 

*       34 

Shanghai,  China 

90,  93 

i   Sheridan,  Philip  H.    . 

•         55,98 

Sherman,  William  T.  . 

34,50 

Shiloh,  Battle  of 

III,  112 

Singapore  Settlements  . 

.            .         89 

Slave-Hunters    . 

.         40 

Sixteenth  Corps  . 

•      34 

Slocum,  Henry  W.       .          . 

•      34 

Southern  Leaders 

.      66 

Spanish  Authority 

.     119 

130 


Spain,  War  with         .          .  .119 

Staff  Officers       .  .        33 

Stanton,  Edwin  M.  .  .  viii,  13,  15,  66 
Stephens,  Alexander  //....  28 
Stewart,  Alexander  T.  .  .  .58 

Stuart,  George  H.  .  .  .  48,  116 
Supreme  Court,  United  States  .  .  84 
Swett,  Leonard  .  .  .  .  1 8,  21,  114 
Switzerland  ....  77,79,81 

_/  ennessee  River  .          .          .          .  7,  1 1 

Tokio  (Teddo)      .  ...  96 

Torbert,  Alfred  T.  A.            .                    -  77 

Trumbull,  Lyman  ....  70 

U  nited  States    .          .          .          .         83,119 

r  era  Cruz,  Mexico  .  .  .  .  101 
yicksburg,  Conqueror  of  .  .  .116 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi  .  .  27,  34 

rrallace,  Lewis          .          .          .       in,  112 

Wallace,  IT.  H.  L 13 

War  Administration  ....  74 
Washburn,  Cadwallader  C.  4,  24,  26,  34,  1 12 
Wasbburne,  Elihu  B.  .  .  .  vii,  117 
Washburne,  Hempstead  .  vii,  5 

Wasbburne,  Mrs.  E.  B,      46,  49,  64,  85,  104 


Washington,  D.  C.   14,  43,  45,  47,  49,  52,  57, 

59,  60,  62,  64,  66, 

69,  73,  100,  103 

Washington,  George     . 

ix 

West  Indies 

.       IO2 

Western  Tennessee 

.       16 

White  House 

•       52 

Wilson,  Henry    . 

.27,41,115 

Wilson,  James  F. 

.60,61,  118 

Wilson,  James  H.       . 

.       24 

Wisconsin  Cavalry,  Second   . 

.       112 

JL  ates,  Richard  . 

.         30 

Tazoo  Pass,  Mississippi 

*3>  24 

Tazoo  River 

24,26 

Yokohama,  Japan 

93>96 

Young,  John  Russell    . 

.90 

Young's  Pointy  Mississippi    . 

•      23 

132 


Printed  for  Thomas  Y.  Crowell  and  Company,  by 

D.  B.  Updike,  The  Merrymount  Press 

104  Chestnut  Street,  Boston 


TCV 


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rne* 


